Philotes
by Josielynn
Summary: Logan thinks that Veronica might be Philotes, the Goddess or Spirit of Friendship from Greek mythology.  When he researches Philotes further, he learns that she is also considered to be the Spirit of Sexual Intercourse.  Rob Thomas owns them all.
1. Chapter 1

_Story: Philotes was the Spirit (Daimona) of Friendship in Greek mythology. AU story of LoVe. What would happen if Veronica had been there for Logan at his mother's funeral? _

Logan looks out the blackened window of the limousine and watches the crowd of well dressed people exiting their cars and walking to the grave site. They are probably anxious to witness the second act of the show. This is just the intermission. It's too bad his father didn't think to serve drinks during the intermission. After all they have a reputation to keep up; the Echolls are the best entertainers around.

His mother's funeral service was just the first act. The setting was befitting a huge production; the largest church in Neptune. The inside of the church was ornate and cold like his mother's beautiful white empty casket. Really he had to congratulate the director/ funeral planner his father hired. There was an abundance of beautiful flowers and mourners absolutely filled the church. The music properly set the mood; the organist playing absolutely beautiful, soul wrenching hymns that were apparently his mother's favorite. There was even a girls' choir to sing; their sweet voices echoing throughout the cathedral.

His father as the producer had definitely outdone himself; spared no expense. He had even taken on a major starring role. He had entered from stage left, dashing and handsome and so very devastated by the loss of the only woman he had ever loved. When he had talked about their love, there wasn't a dry eye in the building. Aaron Echolls was in the role of his career and if the reaction of the audience to the first act was any indication, he was going to get a standing ovation at the end.

He looks at all of the people there and wonders again why none of the hundreds of people there who claim to have loved his mother ever noticed her pain or tried to help her. All the public sees is the handsome actor who found the love of his life and had two children. They certainly don't see a womanizing bastard who beats his son and drove his wife to the bottle, pills and finally to the Coronado Bridge. Bitterly he thinks about how most of the women there would have changed places with his mother in a heartbeat and many had sex with his father just for the opportunity to be near the great Aaron Echolls.

His attention goes to a lone young girl walking. He feels the pain in his chest ease somewhat as he recognizes Veronica walking towards the grave site. She is wearing a plain black dress with a scooped neckline. He remembers how his mother liked Veronica and how Veronica liked his mother. Despite the fact he had ostracized her and led her torment, she had quietly come to pay her respects. Out of all the people there, she might be one of the only ones who is actually there to say goodbye to someone she cared about. He knows she is not there to see him or his father or the idiotic spectacle of the funeral service.

Logan dutifully gets out of the limosine and stands beside his father while the pallbearers carry his mother's coffin to the gravesite. He has his shades on and his face is a mask of calm. Logan walks beside his father and listens as his father greets the dignitaries that have a place of honor at his mother's graveside.

Although Logan only has a bit part in this show, he feels his stomach roll as he follows the pallbearers towards his mother's final resting place. He feels his face flush and the sweat break out on his forehead.

He tells himself that it will be over soon; to take slow deep breaths; that his mother isn't even in the coffin, but none of it helps. As he nears the gravesite, he feels the anxiety rise in his chest closing off his throat making it difficult to breathe. He can't do this! He can't play his role. He didn't audition for this. He is not an actor. He doesn't want this part that has been thrust upon him. He can't distance himself from the pain enough to stand there and listen to anymore platitudes. He can't watch her empty casket be lowered into the ground. He can't listen to any more people talk about his mother; pretending to have some insight on her feelings and rationale for jumping off the bridge. He can't listen to any more people talk about how he will move on and how much his mother loved his father, Trina and him. He can't listen to anyone else tell him that he is lucky he has a father who loves him and they can get through this together. He can't listen to any more people talk about their loss now his mother is gone and how much pain they are in. He has to get out of there. He can't do this.

He looks around frantically and sees that he could leave out the back of the cemetery. He would have to walk past the hundreds of mourners sitting around the grave but that is doable if he can get away.

Of course he knows if he leaves he will face his father's anger and the tabloids would be full of discussions about his disrespect towards his mother. The fallout would be huge but maybe it would just be the plot twist that is needed for this play.

For that split second he lets himself dream of walking down the isle and just continuing on; leaving Neptune, leaving his father; just leaving.

Looking longingly up the isle he sees Veronica sitting in the last row of chairs. She is sitting quietly, away from every one. He parts from his father and walks down the isle to where Veronica is seated. He can't leave but he can adlib his part a little. He stops in front of her and looks down at her. She is looking up at him. He can see the sympathy in her eyes as she looks at him but she says nothing. He reaches up and pulls of his sunglasses and puts them into the pocket of his suit jacket. Meeting her gaze he puts out his hand and waits while she processes he wants her to come with him. After a small hesitation, she puts her hand in his and allows him to pull her to stand beside him. Without speaking, he turns and walks with her to his place at the front.

There is room for Veronica because Trina has not come home for the funeral. Logan sits beside his father and Veronica, with her hand still clasped firmly in Logan's, is forced to sit beside him. 'There is the plot twist that is needed to make this performance really memorable,' he thinks.

The audience is left wondering why the son has gone and got the petit blond to sit with him. Who is she and how does she fit in this plot of this play? What is her character motivation? Inwardly Logan smirks as he thinks about the reaction of the audience to this new plot twist.

Logan knows the tabloids are going to make a big deal of his bringing Veronica to the front of the service. He knows his classmates are going to wonder what is going on between them. He knows Duncan who is sitting in the row behind him, is going to ask him what is going on between his ex and his best friend. He knows his father is wondering why Logan would want Veronica to sit with him. Right now he doesn't care about any of that. He wants someone who really liked his mother to be there. He needs Veronica's strength and quiet way right now. He wants to hold onto her tiny hand and feel someone real beside him. Veronica Mars sees him; she doesn't care about the glamour, the money or how famous his parents are. She is the daughter of the ex sheriff and an alcoholic mother and she makes no apologies about that. Right now she is the buoy in his stormy sea. He is going to hang on to her until he is not afraid of drowning.

Logan is right in that the media is very interested in the girl Logan is sitting with. When they discover she was Lilly Kane's best friend and is Keith Mars' daughter, the story becomes very interesting.

Veronica, sitting beside Logan, feels his hand contract when the priest talks about how much Lynn was loved by her husband, son and adopted daughter. She doesn't know if he is agreeing she was loved or upset that Aaron and Trina are put in the same category as him. She thinks it is the latter.

She is really uncomfortable sitting at the front. She can feel the interest of the press, mourners and especially feels the set of six Kane eyes boring into her back as they sit in the row behind the Echolls; their wealth ensuring them a place of honor.

So she sits quietly without expression on her face and she allows Logan to hold on to her and take strength from her. For some reason she doesn't understand he has chosen to hold onto her. She knows right now he needs her and she knows that despite how poor their relationship is at the present time, she won't say no.

Logan sitting beside Veronica focuses on her tiny hand that is dwarfed in his larger one. If he concentrates on the feel of her hand, warmth of her body next to him and the smell of her perfume, he can make it through Act 2. When his father stands, Logan stands and pulls Veronica to stand beside him. He lets go of her hand when it is his turn to walk to the graveside and throw in a handful of dirt. He feels Veronica put her hand on his arm, stopping him. He pauses and looks over at her. Meeting his gaze, she lifts her hand offering Logan the red rose she brought. It is as if she understands he doesn't want to throw dirt on his mother, even if he knows she is not there. He silently takes the rose from her and walks over to the grave. The crowd is touched as he kisses the rose and gently tosses it on top of her casket where it rests at the bottom of the freshly dug grave. He stands quietly for a few seconds with his head bowed while the crowd watches the last moment between the famous actress and her only child. Without meeting anyone's gaze, he walks back and stands beside Veronica. He takes her hand and watches quietly while the funeral goers walk silently up the grave to pay their last respects. He stands quietly holding Veronica's hand and waits for the signal to walk to the limo.

Act 2 is almost over. After this next intermission, he only has to get through Act 3. The scene will open with all the mourners in the magnificent Echolls' mansion. In his minor role, he only has go through the farce of listening to strangers tell him how he should act, how he should feel, what they feel, how great his father is and how much his father loved his mother.

Logan looks at all the people lined up to walk past his mother's casket and he thinks about all of them and perhaps more arriving at his house to talk to him. His heart races and his breathing quickens. There is no way he can do this. Why are these people here? They don't know him or his mother. Most of them just want to see the spectacle of Aaron Echolls grieving. God why is his father having this huge open funeral?

Logan realizes that Veronica must have noticed his increased stress level as she is looking at him in question. He is amazed that after all this time; she can still read his thoughts and body posture. He meets her gaze for a meaningful moment and then shakes his head a little. She gives a tiny nod and gently squeezes his hand turning to look back at the people walking past Lynn Echolls' grave.

The moment between them is noticed by Duncan and many of the press who are sitting off to the side. What the audience sees is the new character/love interest for the son being a loving and supportive girlfriend. What Duncan sees is his ex-girlfriend holding hands and having non verbal communication with his best friend. It is an intimate gesture made between good friends or lovers.

Logan dutifully goes to the limosine once he gets the signal from the planner. He walks quietly beside Veronica. They don't talk to each other and neither stops to talk to anyone else on the way to the limo. Logan lets go of her hand and gently puts his hand on her back to assist her into the limo ahead of him. Once inside he gestures for her to sit in the middle seat with him. He sits directly beside her and they wait for Aaron to arrive.

Sitting next to him she feels the tension in him. He seems all quiet on the outside but she knows the inside is more chaotic and boiling. The only outward sign that he was not calm is that restless tapping of his fingers on his knee. She knows Logan. He is waiting to blow and by the looks of it, it is going to be a huge eruption. It won't take much to set him off and then the villagers will need to run for their lives.

So she did what she used to do when he was really upset, she hugged him. She leans in and wraps her arms around him under his suit jacket. She puts her head on his chest and holds him close to her. Logan stays still for a second and then wraps his arms around her small frame hugging her tightly to him. He rests his chin on the top of her head. He had forgotten how perfectly she fits in his arms. He sighs quietly and Veronica can feel some of the tension leave his body with his sigh. They stay like that; Veronica giving Logan strength and Logan gratefully accepting her warmth and touch.

When the limo door opens for Aaron to get in, the public and the paparazzi gets a quick glimpse of Logan and Veronica holding each other. It is a picture that will hold a place of honor in a lot of tabloids over the next week. It is the picture of an obviously grieving son being comforted by his girlfriend.

Aaron sits back in his seat and says, "Hello Veronica."

She looks at Logan's father pulling slightly away from Logan. She says quietly, "Hello Mr. Echolls."

Aaron looks at his son holding the petite blond and comments questioningly, "I didn't realize you two were dating."

Logan keeps one arm around Veronica holding her close to him. He reaches up and runs his fingers through his hair, "It's a relatively new event."

Aaron looks at the couple and says in a slightly accusing tone, "If you had told me, I would have made arrangements for Veronica to sit with us at the church service."

Logan looks at his father and explains, "I thought it was too early in our relationship for Veronica to be exposed to the paparazzi but ..." He shrugs and doesn't finish his thought.

Aaron nods at his son as if he understands and says, "I'm glad you have someone to support you."

Logan nods back at his father and listens as his father talks about all the dignitaries that made it to the funeral and how gratified he is so many people wanted to come.

Veronica watches a little incredulously as Aaron Echolls is almost giddy at how well the funeral is going.

Logan sees Veronica's distaste for his father's discussion of who came to the funeral. He feels Veronica's tiny hand rubbing his back under his suit jacket and is grateful she sees and understands his frustration with his father's preoccupation with the media and celebrities. Logan wishes they could have had a small private funeral with real emotions; not a three act play with his father as the star and him as part of the supporting cast.

As they drive towards the mansion, Logan feels his tension increase. He doesn't know if he can walk around talking to everyone and listening to their fake condolences. His arm tightens around Veronica and she looks up at him in concern. She meets his gaze and sees his unspoken entreaty not to leave him alone. She puts her hand up and gently caresses his cheek. She says very quietly, "You can do this… for your mom."

Logan meets her gaze and then nods. He leans down and puts his forehead to hers and says, "Thank you Ronnie."

Aaron watching from across the limo can't hear what they are saying but sees their interaction and sees the closeness. He thinks that Veronica may be good for Logan.

A couple of hours later Aaron brings Logan a plate of food making a big show of his concern for his son. Veronica, seeing the shrimp on the plate and Logan's impending anger that is father doesn't know he is allergic to them, deftly intercedes between them taking the plate from Logan and pulling him away from the situation. She says, "Logan you have to come and meet Mrs. Stone. She was on the soap with your mom in New York when she started out." She looks back to Aaron and the people he is standing with and reassures the, "I'll make sure he eats this. Thanks."

Logan allows Veronica to pull him from the situation with his father and dutifully goes over and talks to Mrs. Stone who does have some funny stories about his mother and some of the things that happened in front of a live studio audience.

Duncan watching sees Veronica discretely dump the plate with the shrimp into the nearest trash ensuring that Logan will not be expected to eat any seafood. She hands Logan a glass of punch which he sips and then gets a look of surprise on his face that he quickly masks. Veronica smiles up at him with an innocent expression on her face. Duncan can see she has added some liquor. He sees Logan's grateful smile as he sips his punch and listens to Mrs. Stone's stories.

Duncan is torn. He is happy that Logan has someone helping him today. He knows Logan loved his mother and has a rocky relationship with his father and Trina. On the other hand he can't let go of the idea that Veronica belongs to him. He knows they can't be together but he still loves her. He watches their comfort level together and wonders at it. He remembers how Logan went and got her during the graveside service and how he held onto her like he is never going to let her go. He thinks there may be more to their relationship than he knows.

Veronica standing beside Logan can see his fatigue and she wonders how much longer the crowd is going to linger. She had found a few of Lynn's real friends and had steered Logan to them. He had listened to their stories of his mother and she knew he had enjoyed hearing about her younger days and some of the stories of her first acting experiences. Veronica had interceded when someone got overly touchy and when they effused too much about Aaron and how much he loved Lynn. She had easily drawn him away with a quick apology and had taken him somewhere safer.

Logan sways a little and Veronica decides that he has done his duty. In a break in the conversation with a few of Lynn Echolls' cast mates, she puts her hand on his chest and says very sweetly, "Logan can we step outside for a few minutes. I am finding it a little stuffy in here."

Logan immediately puts his hand on her back and says caringly, "Sure Ronnie. Let's go for a short walk." Veronica looks up at him gratefully and they excuse themselves and walk out the patio door together. Logan takes a deep breath once they are outside and says, "Thanks, I don't know how much longer I would have made it in there."

Veronica pulls him to the pool and she gestures to the hammock. She says, "Why don't you rest here for a few minutes?"

"That sounds great." He pulls her over to the hammock and he sits down on the edge. As he lays back he pulls Veronica into his arms and she squeals as she lands on his chest and the hammock swings making her feel like she is going to fall out. She puts her arms around Logan hanging on to him as the hammock sways. She looks up annoyed only to see him laughing at her reaction. She meets his gaze and says a little indignantly, "You scared me!"

Logan relaxes his head back and settles her into his arms. He says, "I wouldn't let you fall Mars."

Veronica settles her head onto his shoulder and loosens her arms from around his neck. She wiggles beside him a little trying to get more comfortable. After a few seconds she reaches over and sets his watch alarm to beep in 20 minutes. She says, "We'll go back in and talk with the stragglers."

Logan looks at her obviously not wanting to go back in. She says, 'If they don't leave, I'll get out my tazor."

He has to smile a little at the mental picture of Veronica threatening to tazor his father's friends. They lie together with the hammock swaying in the breeze. Both teens have their eyes closed and seem content to be together.

Duncan, Dick, Madison, Luke, Casey and the other 09ers come out on the patio looking for Logan. It takes them a minute to find him; none of them prepared for the sight of Veronica in Logan's arms. Upset Madison walks closer to the hammock and says, "Logan, how are you?"

He immediately opens his eyes, sees his 09er friends and says, "Hey"

Veronica's eyes have opened and she looks over at the 09ers. She sees expressions ranging from hate to shock to inquiry. She looks over to Logan and sees his fatigue and stress. Logan sits up pulling Veronica with him and holding her to his side as he easily swings his legs out of the hammock. He pulls Veronica up to stand beside him as he stands. He steadies her and then reaches over to shake the male 09er's hands. He lets go of Veronica to briefly hug each 09er girl. Without much expression he listens to their talk of how sorry they are and he thanks them for coming. Very politely he tells them he can't think of anything they can do for him. Finally he reaches over and grasps Veronica's hand and says, "I have to go back in and mingle. How about I call you tomorrow and maybe we can go surfing or something?"

Faced with his open choice to have Veronica stay by his side, the 09er girls reluctantly say goodbye to Logan. The guys all agree to meet at the beach the next day and they leave saying a general goodbye to Logan. He watches as they leave and he sighs. Turning to his best friend he says, "DK man, thanks for being here."

Duncan looks at his best friend and answers sincerely, "Whatever you need."

Logan looks towards the house and notices there are still a lot of people there. He looks back at his friend and says, "I can't believe she's gone." His voice breaks at the end.

Duncan nods and agrees, "Me either."

Veronica excuses herself to go inside ahead of Logan giving him time alone with Duncan. Logan gently pulls her back and says, "I'll come with you." He looks over at his best friend and says, "Duty calls. Can I call you later?"

Duncan nods and says, "Sure." He looks at Veronica but she is not meeting his gaze.

Logan looks down at Veronica and says, "Let's go back in Ronnie." Veronica looks up at him and nods her agreement. Without comment, she walks into the house with Logan.

Aaron sees Logan walk back in with Veronica and goes over to talk to them. He was not impressed when he saw them leave but noticed they were only gone a few minutes. He says, "Where did you go?"

Veronica intervenes deflecting the potential conflict, "Mr. Echolls, it got so stuffy in here so Logan took me out on the patio for a few minutes."

Immediately concerned, Aaron asks the tiny blond, "You are OK now?"

The middle aged woman standing by the door comments a little dryly, "The Echolls' men sure take good care of their women, don't they?"

Veronica squeezes Logan's hand as he stiffens. Veronica looks at the woman and asks, "Aren't you Mrs. Patterson?"

The woman looks closer at Veronica and says, "I am."

Veronica pulls Logan closer and says, "Mrs. Patterson is Director of the Neptune Art Gallery." Logan looks at Veronica in surprise and dutifully shakes Mrs. Patterson's hand. Mrs. Patterson tells Logan that she sold his mother most of the paintings in her art collection.

Aaron breaks up their conversation by telling Logan he has someone for him to meet. Veronica gently hugs Logan and tells him she will catch up in a few minutes.

She talks to Mrs. Patterson for a few minutes and then she goes over and rescues Logan from Aaron's group of friends putting her hand on his back and sweetly telling him she has something to show him. He excuses himself and takes her hand walking with her away from the group.

Veronica turns to face him and pulls on their joined hand stopping him. She says, "Logan, Mrs. Patterson said something that got me to thinking."

He looks down at her and frowns a little at her tone. He asks, "How did you recognize her?"

Veronica says quietly, "She hired my dad." She waves her hand dismissingly, "Usual, cheating husband." Then she takes Logan's arm and pulls him to face her. She looks up at him. Logan looks at her and sees that she is excited about whatever she discovered.

Veronica looks around and sees that they are being watched. She says, "You know what? We'll talk about this another time."

Logan nods in agreement. Veronica can see he is dead tired. She says softly, "Is there a fire alarm I can pull?"

Logan smiles at her a little weakly. Concerned she says, "Let's go and sit somewhere where we are still at the reception but we can rest a little and people will leave us alone."

Looking around at the large number of people still mingling, he asks, "Where is this place called heaven?"

Veronica sees his point. The room is still crowded. She looks around and says, "I know just the place." Pulling on their joined hands she walks into the next room and finds a spot with two chairs by the piano. The man playing the piano nods his head at them. Automatically, he follows her and sits gratefully. Veronica leans in and whispers, "Now no one can talk to us because they can't be heard above the music."

Logan looks at her in surprise but sits back. Veronica sits next to Logan and leans onto his strong chest. He puts his arm around her back and relaxes back holding Veronica next to him. He listens to the soft music and realizes Veronica is right. No one can talk to them but they are both definitely at the reception. He feels some of the tension leave him as he sits holding her and watching the crowd of stragglers still wanting to be at the Echolls' mansion or near Aaron Echolls. He leans in and briefly kisses her forehead in thanks.

To those watching, Lynn Echolls' son has come into the room with his girlfriend and sat near the piano player. They are talking quietly together. It is obvious they get along well. He is relaxing listening to the music. The piano player is playing a medley of songs from his mother's movie career and the two young people seem to be enjoying it.

A half hour later most of the stragglers have left. Logan stands with Veronica and walks with a couple towards the door. He thanks them politely for coming. Aaron looks from his spot in the next room and is pleased at his son's flawless manners. He has no idea that Logan hasn't talked to anyone for the last half hour. He turns to his friends and says, "I am worried about Logan. He was very close to Lynn. I am hoping that Veronica and I can help him through this hard time." He listens as they tell him that Logan is lucky to have a father who cares so much about him. They all reassure him that together they will get through it. Aaron is pleased with how the day went and how well Logan handled himself.

A few minutes later Logan appears by Aaron's side. He says, "Dad, if it is OK, I am going to take Veronica home."

Aaron puts his hand on Logan's shoulder and says, "Sure son. I'll talk to you later."

Logan quietly answers, "OK Dad." He nods a general goodbye to all his father's friends and walks over to where he left Veronica by the door. He takes her hand and they go out the door towards the garage and Logan's car.

Logan breathes a sigh of relief when he and Veronica leave the mansion grounds. He drives down the street towards the beach. He is numb. He doesn't know what to think or feel right now. The only feeling he can identify is the real need to punch something.

"Are you hungry Logan?" his companion asks quietly.

He looks a little surprised as he thinks about her question. Finally he answers, "Not really."

Veronica nods in understanding. She says, "Before we break open this beauty…" Logan gapes as he notices her pull a bottle of Jack Daniels out of her messenger bag. She continues, "We should probably eat something."

Amazed, Logan says, "You are the best girlfriend ever."

Veronica laughs and questions, "Italian?"

Logan pretends to think and decides, "Pizza."

Veronica bounces a little in her seat and says, "Chao's?"

Logan smirks and agrees, "Sure."

Veronica looks at Logan and says, "What are we waiting for?"

Logan looks at Veronica and feels gratitude through to his soul. He needed her today and she has really come through for him. He turns the car towards Chao's. He hands Veronica his phone and says, "Call ahead."

She takes his phone and finds the number. Logan listens as she orders his favorite as well as breadsticks. He shakes his head that she remembered his favorite pizza. They didn't often have it as a group because Lilly hated it. Weird but now that he thinks about it, he remembers that she made it for him when she invited him over for dinner once when the Kanes were in Napa. Mr. Mars had commented that Mrs. Mars would have liked that pizza when she was pregnant with Veronica. They had all laughed. Veronica had shared the pizza with him while Mr. and Mrs. Mars had eaten the pepperoni pizza.

Logan sits in the back of his car with his legs stretched out over the tailgate. He looks out over the ocean. He sighs and takes a deep almost cleansing breath. He has taken off his jacket and tie. He's opened his dress shirt. He feels a lot more comfortable. He looks over and sees Veronica throwing away their supper. She had gotten extra cups with ice for their Jack Daniels as well as a few bottles of water for them to have with supper.

Logan surprisingly realized he hadn't eaten all day and he found he was hungry. He ate a good portion of the pizza and drank two bottles of water. After their meal, she had, without comment, passed him the bottle of Jack and the two cups of ice. He had poured them a drink and they had sat back against the back of the back seat and looked out the tailgate at the water. They were protected from onlookers but out in the fresh air. Logan thought it was perfect.

Veronica sits quietly watching the surfers, families building sandcastles and couples walking along the beach. She is content to wait and see if Logan wants to talk to her. She truly doubts he will talk to her; they aren't close anymore, but she will stay with him making sure he is safe and not alone.

The fact that Logan picked her to support him is a little surreal although she imagines that it is the past relationship she had with his mother that influenced him. That was why she went in the first place. Lynn had always been really nice to her and she wanted to pay her respects. She had watched the Aaron spectacle and had felt genuinely bad for Logan. She knew he loved his mother and would be angry and disappointed that his mother's funeral had turned into such a media event. He had seemed alone at the service. Veronica noted that Trina had not even made it.

Aaron's over the top eulogy made Veronica want to run up there and tazor him. She didn't know how Logan held back. The public had sure been eating up his act though. People were crying at his pain and talking about how strong and brave he was. She had almost gagged. She was amazed that most people couldn't see he was acting; and acting badly at that.

She had been sitting at the back of the graveside service and had looked up to see Logan standing there looking at her. He was dressed impeccably in his black suit. He was wearing dark sunglasses. She had looked up at him expecting him to ask her to leave; him to be offended she was even there, but he had put out his hand.

Logan had stood quietly beside her while the large groups of mourners filed past and Veronica had gritted her teeth at the amount of people crying. She had squeezed his hand in reflex at a woman who was particularly obnoxious with her crying. She was almost as horrible an actress as Aaron was an actor. Logan had given a small smirk at her reaction to the woman and had schooled his features back into indifference.

Veronica had planned to sneak off and get a taxi home once they arrived at the Echolls' mansion but Logan had looked at her, his big brown eyes begging her to not leave him alone. She could see that although Logan was handling everything well, he was really close to losing his cool.

So she had stayed with him and tried to make things easier for him. It wasn't easy. It was weird but all these strangers felt like they knew Logan; probably because he grew up in the tabloids. They wanted to talk to him, give him sympathy and advice. She tried to intercede when someone got too effusive or touchy. Then Aaron tried to get Logan to eat seafood. Hopefully he was just grieving and forgot Logan's seafood allergy. Somehow though she doubted he even remembered Logan's allergy. When Logan was hospitalized, Aaron was on location and made no attempt to even really check on Logan. Veronica remembers how she thought about how lucky she was to have her father. The get together at the Echolls' mansion seemed to last for hours.

Although she didn't understand it, Logan had needed to be touching her. Everyone assumed she was his girlfriend and he had said nothing to refute their assumptions. He had not let go of her even when she wanted him to rest in the hammock for a few minutes. He had pulled her down beside him and held her. Not sure of what to do she had lied next to him, her body practically on his. He had not let go of her when his 09er friends and Duncan were there. She had tried to sneak off when he was talking with Duncan but he had held on to her; keeping her with him. Who knows what the 09ers were thinking or what Duncan thought of Logan keeping her with him? Really she decided, it wasn't her problem. None of them were her friends and Duncan had dumped her without an explanation so his thoughts were not her problem either.

Logan had visibly relaxed when his Xterra had left the mansion. He had obviously not wanted to go back home. Veronica decided that she would use this time to make sure he ate. She knew he was going to go somewhere and drink himself into oblivion so she had snuck a bottle of Jack Daniels and had decided to look after Logan while he drank. He had been surprised but had accepted her help gratefully.

Now sitting sipping the Jack Daniels with her stomach full of pizza, Veronica felt content. She would look after Logan and take him home when he was drunk and close to passing out. Then she would go home and things would get back to normal. She loved sitting at the beach watching the people and the ocean. She thought about Logan never seeing his mother again and she wondered if her mother was even alive.

Logan looks out over the water and finally lets the tension of the day leave his muscles. His mother's funeral had been worse than he even imagined it would be. It was a huge circus. Logan looks over and sees that Veronica is watching the waves and sipping her drink. She is deep in her own thoughts, respectfully allowing him to think; yet, she is there if he should want to talk or if he needs her.

She has been amazing! She has given him so much support today even though they aren't friends. Hell, they are enemies but today she had let all the stuff between them go and she has been there for him. She has been his lifeline. She gave him the rose she brought to throw on his mother's grave. He didn't know how she knew but he had not wanted to throw dirt on his mother even though she wasn't there. He had felt her hand contract while they had watched the grieving masses go past her grave and he had almost smiled at her reaction to some of their over the top grief. Logan thought about how she had wrapped her tiny arms around him like she was going to protect him from the rest of the world. It had touched him more than she would ever know and he had sunk into her embrace gratefully. He had wrapped his arms around her and they had fit perfectly together; like they were made for each other.

Logan had been at the end of his rope with pain and fatigue and she had looked after him at the mansion and had pulled him through the ordeal. He had never had anyone look after him before and he was deeply grateful to her. She had pulled him away from the Aaron fans; she had found mourners who had really known and cared about his mother; she had pulled him away from his father when he had tried to make him eat seafood; she had sensed he was losing it and had played the tired girlfriend and asked him to take her outside for a few minutes and she had found him a place to sit where he wouldn't be bothered when he couldn't take it anymore.

Now she had taken him to the beach, fed him and was keeping him company while he relaxed. Hell she had even stole a bottle of his favorite liquor. He was amazed and profoundly grateful to her. He realizes that he has driven away one of his true friends and, he did not know why she was choosing to be his friend after how he treated her; but, he was going to hang on to her and thank his lucky stars he had her. His anger at her seemed so very stupid and unimportant now. Life had just taught him a harsh lesson in what was coal and what was a diamond.

Veronica looks out over the ocean and thinks about the Fab Four and her family when she was young. Logan thinks about his mother and tries to remember the good times and when she showed she loved him. They both watch the ocean and sip their drinks.

Logan looks down at Veronica. She sat quietly for hours watching the ocean, sipping her drink and thinking. Then finally she drifted off to sleep. Seeing her body droop, Logan reached over and pulled to her rest against him. She had snuggled against him and then fell into a restful, almost peaceful sleep. She looks so young, so impossibly innocent, and so very beautiful when she is asleep. He thinks that maybe she is Philotes the Greek Spirit of Friendship. He makes a mental note to look her up and see if there is a picture of her anywhere. Maybe she looks like Veronica; all sassy with blond hair and blue eyes. He smiles a little and wonders what Veronica would say if he called her Philotes.

After a while Veronica wakes. It is dark and she is lying against Logan. She has her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around him with her leg resting snugly between his. He has his arm around her holding her while he watches the ocean and thinks.

Feeling her stir, he looks down at her and watches her wake. She was obviously disoriented at first but when she realized where she was, he could see her concern for him. She looks up at him in worry and says, "Oh Logan. I'm sorry."

With a rush of affection he reaches up and gently brushes her hair from her eyes. He reassures her, "It's OK Ronnie."

Lightening the mood he teases, "Although I could hardly hear the ocean over your snoring."

She immediately looks offended and says, "I do not snore."

He has to laugh at her indignation and teases her further, "Like a buzz saw."

Frowning she sits up and pulls away from him. She looks around and asks, "What time is it?"

Logan takes a sip of his drinks and readily answers, "Ten pm."

Veronica relaxes back in her seat and asks, "Is there any Jack left?"

Logan smiles genuinely at her and reaches over to pour more into her glass.


	2. Chapter 2

_Story So Far: In this AU story there is no Wallace although he is one of my favorite characters. Otherwise things are unchanged. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She really comes through for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Greek Spirit of Friendship. _

Veronica walks into the school the following day. She ignores the stares as usual and walks to her locker. She attends her classes, sits by herself at lunch and leaves after school on the bus alone; just another day in paradise for the petite blonde. The speculation from the press that Veronica is Logan's girlfriend and the picture of him hugging her tightly to him in the back of the limo have added oxygen to the fire of gossip at Neptune High.

None of it touches Veronica as she has been cut off and cut herself off from contact with most of the students; so she just goes about her day as usual. Logan has not come back to school yet so the masses can't see him with Veronica to judge their relationship now. They are unsure how to treat her. On one hand, she is persona non gratis; they aren't supposed to talk to her or be nice to her by order of Logan Echolls and the 09ers. On the other hand, Logan may be dating her now. They remember how protective of she he used to be when she was Duncan Kane's girlfriend and Lilly Kane's best friend so they imagine he may not handle any torment of her well now. It is all very confusing!

The girl herself is an enigma. She will ignore you if you ignore her, but if you get on her bad side, she will destroy you. Most students choose to avoid her until they get some direction from Logan and the 09ers.

Logan does not attend school the rest of the week. He does go surfing with the 09er guys and Veronica is not there. Logan doesn't mention her, the funeral or his mother's death. He is quiet and the 09ers just tell him the gossip at the school. He smirks when he hears about how Veronica ignored everyone's stares and comments. His friends don't know what to make of his quiet way and don't ask him any questions about Veronica.

When questioned by the other 09ers, Duncan tells them that Logan came over and played video games but they did not talk about Veronica or Lynn. He immediately changes the subject. It is obvious that Duncan doesn't want to talk about Logan and Veronica; at least to them.

Friday night, Logan does not attend Susan's party. He doesn't answer their calls or texts. They wonder if he is out with Veronica or upset at home. Truthfully, Logan can't face partying with his friends. He knows that most of them would drop him if he wasn't the son of Aaron Echolls. He knows that they aren't his true friends. He spends the night in his room avoiding his father and looking at pictures of his mother, looking at pictures of the Fab 4 and thinking about his life.

Saturday night Logan continues to ignore the calls and texts from his 09er friends. He drives over to Veronica's apartment. She opens the door and looks at him in surprise when she sees him standing there. He bypasses a normal greeting and asks, "Are you free tonight?"

Veronica frowns a little at him and motions him into her apartment. He looks around noticing how small it is and recognizes the furniture from the house she used to live in. He bends down to greet Back Up who remembers him and is excited to see him. Veronica looks at Logan and sees he is sad but is coping. She questions, "What did you have in mind?"

Logan quietly looks up from petting her dog and answers simply, "A movie."

Veronica looks at Logan for a few seconds as if gauging his intent and then gives a tiny nod. She softly remarks, "Just let me get my purse."

He nods and goes back to petting Back Up, "Sounds good."

Logan puts his hand on her back and escorts her to his car. He opens the door courteously and walks around and gets in his side. They say very little and during the drive, Logan turns the radio to a popular music station.

Veronica is unsure what to say to Logan. Most of her conversations with him are biting, negative and filled with sarcasm. He is not part of her life now and she is definitely not part of his. She is really not sure that going with him even to a movie is a good idea.

Logan is feeling a lot of the same feelings. He is not really sure what to say to her and he can tell she is uncomfortable being out with him. They need to have a talk about what happened between them but right now he is hoping that they can start by just watching a movie together. It doesn't take much conversation and he hopes it can break the ice between them.

They look at the options on the billboard after he parks. Finally he suggests, "You choose."

Surprised that he would want her to choose, Veronica looks at him and asks, "Did you hit your head?"

Logan looks at her and smirks, "I won't be watching it anyways."

Veronica meets his gaze and sees his expression. She is surprised to see he has a teasing and mischievous expression on his face. "What will you be doing?" she questions.

Logan gets out of the car without answering and goes around opening her door. He helps her out and takes her hand. She raises an eyebrow and queries, "Logan?"

He smiles and says innocently, "Yes Veronica."

She sees the twinkle in his eyes and immediately gets suspicious. "Logan Echolls, what are you planning?"

"Veronica, I'll be in a dark place with a beautiful girl who I find very attractive. What do you think I'll be doing?" He laughs as Veronica stares at him in surprise. He pulls her to the window to pay.

Veronica follows along a little disconcerted at how much he reminds her of the Logan who was part of the Fab 4; teasing, flirting, laughing, trying to embarrass her.

Logan settles in beside Veronica putting his drink in the holder and pulling the bag of twizzlers out of his pocket. He hands it to her once she is settled. She smiles over at Logan and opens the package offering one to Logan. He shakes his head, "I'll stick with my popcorn."

Veronica pouts over at Logan and says, "I thought we were sharing."

Logan smiles at her pout and points out, "I never said that."

Veronica looks at Logan indignantly and asserts, "It was implied when I said I would share my twizzlers."

"I guess I must have missed that implication," he intones.

Veronica says hopefully, "But now you know, you'll be happy to share?"

Logan smirks at her and mentions casually, "If you hold the popcorn, my hands will be free. Is that really what you want?"

Veronica tilts her head as if in thought and she finally says, "Well yes." She smirks at the looks of surprise on his face. She is not that Veronica that he could make blush so easily.

Logan recovers and answers, "The tabloids are right; you really are the best girlfriend ever." He hands her the popcorn and puts his arm across the back of her chair. He is happy when she leans in and rests her back against his chest just as the room darkens. It was their default position when they ended up watching movies together at her house when the Kanes were away or he was broken up with Lilly.

The group of 09ers watch as Logan and Veronica arrive at the theater. They can see their discussion and Veronica's pout. It is obvious Logan is laughing at her and teasing her. Just before the movie starts they settle in together with Logan's arm around her and her leaning into him. They watch the movie together sharing their popcorn and candy.

After the movie Logan and Veronica talk as they leave the theater. Veronica is waving her arms to make a point and Logan is smirking at her; obviously disagreeing. She shakes her head at him in exasperation and Logan merely puts his hand on her back and nudges her towards the exit.

Dick calls out to them as they walk towards the exit. Logan turns pulling Veronica to a stop and half turning her. He pulls her closer to his side protectively letting go of her hand and wrapping his arm around her waist. She stiffens a little when she sees the 09ers approach. Logan bumps fists with Dick, Cassidy and Casey. He says hello to Madison, Kim and Susan. He notices that the looks the girls give Veronica are filled with hate. Hers are masked but he can feel the tension in her body. He had heard rumors about how mean the girls were to her but he had done nothing to stop it. It had made him happy to know she was suffering. Now he wasn't going to tolerate that behavior. He asks quietly, "What movie did you guys see?"

They tell Logan they were sitting a few rows behind them in the theater. Logan nods and then asks them what they thought of the movie. Dick and the guys tell Logan they loved it while the 09er girls complain at all the blood and gore. Madison obviously upset, declares, "It was stupid." She pouts, "I wanted to leave but the guys wouldn't go."

Logan looks at Veronica fondly, "Veronica chose the movie," he tells his 09er friends. He squeezes her waist briefly and teases, "I think she just wanted to hold onto me during the battle scenes."

The 09ers look on in shock at Logan's teasing way with Veronica. She looks indignant at his assertion she picked the movie to get near him. Upset at Logan's loving manner with Veronica, Madison asks Logan to come and eat with them. She steps closer and puts her hand on his arm rubbing it enticingly.

He immediately shakes his head and steps away. His tone firm he tells the 09ers, "I am going to take Ronnie out to her favorite restaurant. She was a total trooper sitting through that movie with me."

He bids his friends goodbye telling the guys he will meet them at the beach in the morning. He turns and with the arm that is around her tiny waist, turns Veronica with him to walk towards the exit leaving the stunned 09ers standing there. Veronica is not sure what to think about the conversation. She is shocked that he would blow off Madison so openly.

When they get outside Logan pulls away from her but takes her hand and walks with her to his car protecting her small form from the crush of the paparazzi. He is not really surprised to see the press and both he and Veronica mask their faces and walk with their heads down a little to the car. They both ignore questions about their relationship and how Logan feels now a week after his mother killed herself. Logan sees Veronica slide her hand into her bag and knows that soon she is going to tazer one of the reporters for his stupid questions. He ushers her into his car and goes around opening his door and getting in. He starts the vehicle and pulls out leaving the paparazzi behind. He points out, "You can't really tazer them Ronnie."

She looks at him and questions, "Who? The paparazzi or the 09ers?"

Logan amused at her question, answers, "Well both."

Veronica turns and looks out the window and he thinks he hears her whisper, "Pity."

Logan looks over at Veronica in the restaurant. She is quietly eating. He always found her to be quiet, especially around Lilly. She came out of her shell at times when the Fab 4 were out together. Now she is quiet all the time. She has learned to be alone and she doesn't seem to mind it. Logan finds he likes the quiet; he just misses the sweet, open Veronica.

This Veronica has walls. Hell, she has high walls with barb wire on the top with land mines around the outside. She keeps herself hidden behind those walls and lets almost no one in. They had talked about college and her face had lit up a little. He could see that when she got away from Neptune, she was looking forward to opening the gate and coming out from behind those walls. Logan still feels a pang every time he thinks about what he put her through and how he forced her to build those walls.

He says quietly, "A penny for your thoughts."

Veronica looks at him in surprise and says, "I was just enjoying the delicious food."

Logan continues to look at her and waits. She sees the look and says, "It's just something that popped into my head the other day."

Logan checks, "Now it's there you can't stop thinking about it?"

Veronica looks at Logan and says with a little wonder in her voice, "Yes."

"Is there any way I could help?" he asks.

Veronica hesitates. Logan, seeing her hesitation, waits patiently for her to decide what she wants to say. She finally shares, "I need something, but I need it with no questions asked."

He thinks about what she is saying and then comments, "You want me to trust you."

Veronica nods. She pauses obviously uncertain how he is going to react to what she has to say. Finally she discloses, "Something popped into my head at your mom's funeral luncheon."

Logan looks at her sharply. He remembers that she got excited for a few minutes and then told Logan they would talk about it later. He had not paid much attention to it and had actually forgotten about it. He asks, "What was it?"

Veronica looks down at the table and runs her fingers around the pattern in the table cloth. After a minute or two, Logan reaches over and takes her hand. He says, "Talk to me Ronnie."

Surprised at the tone of his voice and the use of her old nickname, Veronica looks up at Logan to assess his mood. She sees he is not upset with her but is a little confused and maybe concerned. She explains, "Logan I get lots of ideas. A lot of things just…"

Logan supplies, "Pop into your head."

Veronica looks at Logan and sees he is not being sarcastic. She nods. She says, "Sometimes I am right and a lot of times I am wrong."

"You had an idea at mom's funeral. Does it have to do with her?" he asks a little worriedly. Veronica nods. Logan can see she is reluctant to talk about her idea. He checks, "You don't want to tell me about it?"

She meets his gaze, her blue eyes sincere, "Well right now it's just an idea. I want to look into it and see if…" She pauses again and it is obvious she doesn't really know what to say.

Logan asks, "Once you check out your idea, you are planning on talking to me about it?"

Veronica looks at Logan and nods, "Yes."

He looks in her eyes and sees she is telling him the truth. He questions, "What do you need?"

Veronica answers quietly, "Your mom's social security number and all her credit card numbers."

There is silence for a few moments while Logan ponders what she is thinking about and why she would want the information. Veronica shifts a little nervously in her chair. Logan finally says, "OK."

Veronica looks at him in surprise and repeats questioningly, "OK?"

Logan sighs and says heavily, "I trust you Ronnie. Just…" He pauses and then says, "Don't make me wait too long. I will be wondering and …"

Veronica squeezes his hand and reassures him, "I know. I won't."

Logan takes her hand in his and rubs his finger over the lines in her palm. Veronica feels the tingles all the way up her arm and she is really unsure about having these feelings when Logan touches her. He is Lilly's ex and they are enemies now.

His voice brings her out of her thoughts, "We have something else we need to talk about."

Veronica's eyes get huge. Logan sees her fear and quickly says, "Let's get out of here."

He stands and puts some money on the table. He walks around and pulls Veronica's chair out and takes her hand as they leave the restaurant.

They walk without talking to Logan's car and Logan opens her door for her and shuts it once she is settled in the car. He walks around the car and gets in his door. He sees paparazzi taking their picture and sighs. He nods over at the paparazzi and comments, "I wonder what the statute of limitations is on grieving."

Veronica noticing the photographer suggests, "Maybe once you are back in school, they will get bored."

Logan starts the car and backs out. He says doubtfully, "Maybe."

Logan pulls in and parks at the beach. He shuts off the car and looks out over the ocean. He opens his door and walks around to open her door. He helps her out and then locks the car. He walks with her down the beach to the water's edge. He sits down and pulls her to sit near him. He looks around and sees that they are completely alone.

Veronica sitting beside Logan in the dark waits for Logan to talk to her. She is not sure what else they have to talk about. She is blown away by the fact he is willing to trust her and give her the information on his mother that she is asking for. She likes having the old Logan back but she is really not sure what it means for them.

Logan watches Veronica watch the water. He finally reaches over and takes her hand. He says quietly, "Ronnie, I want to thank you for being there for me at Mom's funeral."

She immediately waves him off and says in a Brooklyn- type voice, "Dun't worry bout it."

Logan smirks and looks down at their joined hands. He says, "Losing mom..." He stops and swallows and tries again, "I've realized that people and relationships are more important than anger."

He looks at her briefly and she sees the pain in his eyes as he pronounces, "Time could be short." He looks out at the ocean and then back towards her. He shares, "I should have learned that when Lilly…"

Veronica doesn't know what to say. She can see Logan is upset.

He meets her gaze and admits, "I should never have lost touch with you. I should never have hurt you." Logan sees her surprise at his words, but he also sees a flash of pain at his words. He explains, "I had so much guilt about not being there for Lilly when she was killed. I was mad you told Lilly about Yolanda. Duncan became a zombie and then I didn't have you when you sided with your father." He shakes his head and adds, "When I didn't have you, I just fell apart." He shifts in the sand and continues, "I wasn't thinking straight. I forgot what you meant to me," he admits, "I was so fucked up."

He is concerned that she isn't looking at him and she hasn't spoken yet. He finishes, "I am so sorry Veronica. If I could take it back, I would."

Veronica doesn't know what to think much less say. She had dreamed of Logan talking to her like this but that was a long time ago and she has given up those dreams as well as other dreams. That Veronica who was part of the Fab 4; she's gone now. The friend Logan remembers is gone now. This Veronica is hard, angry, and suspicious and well, a bitch.

Unable to take the silence anymore, he gently lifts her chin and his heart lurches when he sees her tears. He questions, "Ronnie?"

She pulls herself away from him and wraps her arms around herself. Obviously upset, she tells him, "That stupid, trusting, naive girl you used to know is gone." She waves at herself and says, "All that's left is me." She shakes her head sadly and declares, "You won't like the me that's left."

Alarmed, he grabs her arm and tries to reassure her, "No Ronnie. You might have gotten tougher but the girl who was a good friend to Lilly and me is still there. You were there for me when I needed you this week. I can still see part of the old you."

Tears brimming she whispers, "A year ago maybe. Now she's gone."

Logan is dismayed at her obvious distress. He is not sure what to think about her insistence that the old Veronica is gone. He knows that is not true as he has seen his caring friend first hand these past few days.

She looks around a little frantically, "I think I should go home."

He frowns as he sees that she is withdrawing from him. He doesn't really understand what is happening. He knows he has been horrible to her and he let everyone treat her badly. She seemed to be able to handle the comments, names on her locker, flat tires and whatever else was done. In fact, she seemed to be getting back at them. Dick's truck and John's car are in the shop more often than not. Logan knows that the bong in his locker was from Veronica. She seems to give as good as she gets most of the time now.

Checking he queries, "Why do you think the old Ronnie who was a good friend is gone?"

She looks at him and her voice gets hollow when she answers, "I had to change. It was too much. Duncan started ignoring me, Lilly died, my dad lost his job, you hated me, everyone hated me, my mom left and then..." She stops suddenly and looks away from him.

Perceptive, he sees her upset at what she almost said. Unsure what else she sees as eventful in her life, he prods, "Then what?"

"I can call my dad to come and get me if you want to stay," she changes the topic. She stands and brushes the sand off her legs.

He feels a chill go over him as he sees the walls go up and her eyes lose their light. Immediately he jumps up after her and queries, "Why are you withdrawing from me? I though we were past this."

She looks at him and sees his upset. Wistfully she shares, "I guess I was caught up in wanting to help you. For a little while it was like the old times." She looks up the beach towards his vehicle and pronounces, "The reality is we don't know each other that well now; we aren't friends anymore. When you go back to school, your friends can help you."

"There is no way I am losing you again Veronica," he tells her. "I have learned my lesson about being apart from those I care about."

His heart almost breaks at the sadness on her beautiful face. She sighs and for a moment he sees the Veronica that cried when he tormented her; vulnerable and innocent. "There is so much between us now Logan. I wouldn't even know where to start."

His dark eyes see the despondency in her manner and he hears the pain in her voice. He insists, "We have to talk about it. I am not going to lose you again."

He grasps both her arms forcing her to face him. He is really worried when he sees she is not going to meet his gaze. He bends down so his face is level with her. He softens his tone and gentles his touch on her arms, "We will talk about every stupid thing I said and did. I will apologize for them all. I am very serious about making things up to you. I will show you I am your friend again."

Caught between his determination and her pain she doesn't know what to do and the tears fall. When he pulls her into his arms, it punches through her barriers and she begins to cry in earnest. It has been so long since anyone besides her father held her and cared about her.


	3. Chapter 3

_Story So Far: In this Season 1 AU story there is no Wallace although he is one of my favorite characters. Otherwise things are unchanged. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She is there for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan thinks about his relationship with Veronica and when he talks to her about becoming friends again, she gets upset and tells Logan the old Veronica is gone. When he tells her he won't give up, she cries and he holds her._

Sunday morning Logan is surfing with his 09er friends. The tired young men are sitting on their boards relaxing, enjoying the sun on their already tanned bodies. Dick asks, "Dude, are you going to school tomorrow?"

Logan nods with his head tilted up to the sun.

"Do you need a ride to avoid the paparazzi?" Dick offers.

Relaxed with his eyes closed, Logan easily tells his friends, "No, I have to pick up Ronnie. Until her car is fixed, she needs a ride to school." He leisurely stretches a little telling them as he arches his back to work out the kinks, "I don't want her to ride the bus." He opens his eyes and looks towards the beach, "Besides I need to be there to keep her from going all Buffyl on the next paparazzi who asks me how I am feeling after my mother killed herself."

Cassidy frowns and checks, "Really?"

Logan laughs a little and looks at his friends, "Last night after the movie they were harassing us and Ronnie reached into her bag. I quickly hustled her into my Xterra before she could teach a few of them not to ask stupid questions."

Cassidy comments, "I can't believe she would do that!"

Logan looks at him and nods, "She would definitely do it." He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he watches a surfer who is having a pretty good run, "She has really changed since her dad was fired. She's had to be tough."

Watching him, the guys see he is serious. They are not sure what to think. They have spent the last year thinking of ways to upset her and make her cry. Dick frowns as he is the reason Veronica's car is in the shop right now. Now Logan is worried about her taking the bus to school and tazering the paparazzi.

Logan looks over and sees the looks on his friends' faces. He sighs and admits, "I know I was angry and led the charge against her. I punished her for what her father did. I hurt a sweet girl that never did anything to hurt anyone."

He looks away for a few seconds and then adds, "I was an asshole to her and I have to live with that." His friends are really unsettled by Logan's declaration. He is not a guy who shares his feelings often but they can see he genuinely regrets his behavior towards Veronica.

He looks back meeting their gazes and asserts, "No one is going to hurt her anymore." Firmly he finishes, "I will make sure of that."

Cassidy and Dick know that look on Logan's face. He will destroy anyone who hurts her now. Dick groans. He and Logan are good friends so Logan will not go after him but Logan will expect him to treat Veronica nicely when they are around each other. The problem is he does not like Veronica. She is a total bitch to him. Plus Madison really hates Veronica so there is no way Madison will ever be nice to her even if Logan is dating her. He asks, "Do we have to be nice to her now?"

Logan looks at Dick and sees his displeasure at the thought of having to be nice to Veronica. Dick has been the worst to Veronica and she has really taken to targeting him. He smirks and says, "Unless you want to be on the other end of her tazer…."

Dick grimaces and comments, "She would enjoy that."

Logan laughs and agrees, "She really would."

The guys look at Logan in shock. He seems quiet and down about his mother but he smiles easily when talking about Veronica. As crazy as it sounds to them, Logan seems to be happy dating Veronica.

Cassidy sees how serious Logan is about protecting Veronica now. He wonders how Logan will react if he finds out about what happened at Shelley's party. He thinks Veronica was too far out of it to remember. At least she hasn't remembered anything so far and she hasn't told her father or the police or he would have heard something. He is safe now but what if Sean or Dick mention to Logan that they left him in the room with passed out Veronica? What if Veronica tells Logan what happened to her?

Casey, unaware of the thoughts of the younger Cassablancas brother, mildly says, "Well I for one am more than ready for this war to be over."

Logan looks over at him in question. Casey explains, "She really helped me when my grandmother died. I haven't been able to join in any plots against her since then."

Puzzled Dick comments, "We just thought that was because of your brainwashing."

The guys laugh at the way Dick looks at things. Logan says, "Hey, I'm going head out." He looks back at his friends and rolls his eyes, "Dad wants to have a family dinner tonight." He paddles towards the shore and tells them he will see them at school.

_Sunday Evening_

Logan arrives home and has a quiet dinner with his sister and his father. He says nothing to upset either of them and keeps his snark to a minimum. His father has decided to work on their relationship so Logan is going to stay away from him as much as possible until he goes back to work. He knows that his father is only staying home right now so he looks like a good father. His affairs going public hurt his family image and he is trying to repair it now. Soon enough he will be back to his womanizing ways. Logan is stuck another year until he turns eighteen so he has to take advantage of the time his father is on his best behavior.

He sits in his room and thinks about how Veronica cried in his arms. He felt so awful listening to her sobs and feeling her tiny body shaking; especially as he was the cause of a lot of her pain at school. For the first time he thinks about how alone she is and how hard her home life must have been with her father being recalled and her mother finally leaving. He thinks about how badly he feels about his mother choosing to leave him and thinks Veronica must have felt the same except her mother is hopefully still alive. He wonders if Veronica still hopes her mother will come back. Instead of being there and helping her through her mother leaving, he openly mocked her about it. He has so much to make up to her; he was such a jerk!

When she was done crying, she seemed to pull herself together and away from him. She looked so tiny, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. After a few seconds she quietly asked him to please take her home. She had erected her formidable walls and Logan was definitively on the outside. He understood why he was, but he wasn't going to stay there. He merely told her that he was going to pick her up for school on Monday. She had balked at the invitation stating it would only add to all the gossip about them.

Logan had done his best imitation of royalty stating, "Let them say what they want… and eat cake!"

Veronica had not responded to his attempt to lighten the heavy mood. She just continued to look out the window as he drove them towards her apartment. Trying to get through to her he told her that people were going to talk anyways and he knows he sounded bitter when he told her, "They will want to see how I am handling my mother's suicide."

She had not responded and just continued to look out the window. When he pulled up in front of her apartment he told her, "I am serious about being your friend again Veronica. A friend would save you from taking the bus."

Quietly she told him, "I don't have any friends." She opened the door of his Xtrerra and got out. She briefly thanked him for the movie and dinner and then shut the door and almost ran towards her apartment. Logan doesn't know what he could have said to make things better. She isn't going to believe words from him anyways and he really doesn't blame her for that.

He knows how to deal with angry Veronica; he has dealt with her since he turned the school against her. He just doesn't know how to deal with her when she is hurting. He guesses she never let him see that side of her.

_Monday Morning_

At school on Monday Logan's Xterra pulls up and the fact Logan is back garners a lot of attention. Veronica looks out the window at the all the students who are openly watching Logan's vehicle arrive and all the press who are standing outside the barriers set up by the police department. She had not wanted to arrive with Logan today and had almost refused the ride and taken the bus.

She sighs and thinks that deep down there must be a tiny part of the old Veronica left; like Logan thinks. He looked so discouraged and alone when he talked about how the press and students would want to know how he is doing and how his family is coping with his mother's suicide. When he arrived this morning, she knew that she would help him get through the next few days. Logan was really hurting that his mother was gone and he also had to deal with the fact it was her choice to leave him. Veronica knows exactly how that feels.

Logan gets out with his ever present sunglasses on his handsome face. He walks around the car and opens the passenger door. The paparazzi take a lot of pictures of Logan helping Veronica out of his car. She is also wearing sunglasses. Logan puts his arm around the tiny blond and pulls her to his side keeping her protected from the paparazzi that have rushed through the barrier designed to keep them out. The extra security and the deputies from the Sheriff's Department vainly attempt to move the press away. Logan, used to protecting himself, keeps Veronica close to him and assists her into the school. They both ignore the flashes of the camera and the questions yelled in their direction as they walk together.

Once they are inside the school they both stop and pull off their sunglasses. Veronica, a little shell shocked, says sarcastically, "I am amazed that those barriers weren't enough to keep the blood suckers out." When she sees Logan is also looking a little shocked, she bumps her shoulder against his and adds, "Neptune's Finest is just not what they used to be."

Logan smirks at her and agrees, "Yes, tax dollars definitely going to waste there."

He walks with down the hallway noticing the increased amount of students waiting at the parking lot door and down the hallway where Veronica has her locker. It is a little like walking the gauntlet. He decides this is as good a time as any to show the student body that his mandated mistreatment of Veronica is over. He looks down at her as they walk and says very casually, "Did I mention my father wants to have you over for supper tonight?"

Veronica's gaze jerks up to meet Logan's and she asks, "Why does he want me there?"

He smiles at her and puts his hand to his chest and answers a little dramatically, "Well he is my father and he wants to check out my girlfriend."

"No way," she shakes her head definitively, "Dinner with parents is one of the things that a girlfriend has to do." She waves her hand between them and says, "That's not us."

The couple does not realize how close they look. They are walking together and look like they are having a friendly argument. Logan looks like he is teasing Veronica and she is responding to his teasing.

Smiling at little at her reaction he explains how his father has decided to retire. He tells her that he is going to 'find himself' and he completes the sentence with the appropriate finger quotes. Logan looks at her and thinks how she is probably the only girl he knows that wouldn't jump at the chance to have dinner with his famous father. He can see that she truly doesn't want to go.

She has to smile at his finger quotes. She opens her locker and comments, "I'm scared to ask but what does Aaron Echolls finding himself entail?"

Logan leans against the locker next to Veronica's and talks about how his father is taking glass blowing and cooking lessons. He nods at a few of the students who say hello to him but he skips is gaze off them quickly discouraging them from prolonging the conversation.

Frowning she looks over at him and asks a little incredulously, "Really?"

He assures her, "This afternoon he has glass blowing and tonight he is cooking us Chicken Parmesan."

She pauses and says, "That's…"

When she doesn't finish, he supplies, "Lame? Ridiculous?"

Shaking her head, she ponders and tells him, "I was thinking more like ostentatious."

He counters, "More like pompous."

She smiles a little and tries, "Contrived?" She shuts her locker and turns to walk towards her first class. Logan stands and walks with her. Most students don't interfere with the couple's in-depth discussion. They are watching though.

He nods and then agrees, "That's a good one. How about pretentious?"

She points at him acknowledging that he also choose a good word, "What about schmaltzy?" she asks.

Logan ponders her choice and then tells her, "That is OK. I submit haughty as the correct word."

She is impressed and says, "Ohhh that is good! She thinks for a second and says, "Really though, it's feeble."

Logan laughs as he steers her around the corner towards his locker. She complains, "Hey, my class is the other way."

Relaxed and happy she is providing him with a shield against all the unwanted comments from his classmates, he says, "I need more time to persuade you to come to dinner tonight so you have to walk me to my locker."

The both look up and see that Madison, Kim, Dick, Cassidy and John are waiting for Logan. The hallway is crowded with students waiting to talk to Logan. Veronica stiffens and attempts to pull out of Logan's arm.

Logan leans in and whispers, "You cannot leave me to face the inquisition alone."

"You are their leader," she hisses, "Just make them go away."

He smirks and looks down at her. He says, "Is that what you really want?"

A little suspicious at his tone, she wonders why he is smirking at her but points out, "I always want them to go away."

"OK," he agrees, "Whatever you say." Suddenly he pulls her over to the side of the hall and before she can even comment turns her back to the wall. He leans in trapping her between his body and the hard lockers.

She looks up at him in surprise and says, "Logan…" The rest of what she was going to say is smothered as his lips cover hers.

The hall goes quiet but Veronica is not really aware of the sudden silence. Her heart beat took a huge jump and is pounding in her ears. Logan's lips are soft and warm and as they move over hers, her thoughts race from how hard his body is to how good it feels to be in his arms to how much she likes his musky smell to how right the rumors were about Logan's kissing expertise.

Her lips part and when Logan deepens the kiss touching his tongue to hers, she doesn't have any more thoughts; only needs. She absolutely needs to be a lot closer to him. Her arms wrap around his shoulders and she stands on her toes to get closer.

When Logan ends the kiss, he is completely stunned at how great it felt to kiss her. He looks down at her and watches her eyes slowly open. She has a vacant gaze for a few seconds and her eyes are unfocused. He sees the same shock he is feeling mirrored in her gaze and he can't help it, he smiles. It is humorous that he would have kissed her to get the students to forget about his mother and he was the one who forgot for a few seconds. He keeps her in his arms so most of the student can't see her face. He thinks about finally finding someone who means more to him than a girl he can date and have sex with until he gets bored and it is Veronica the girl he has tormented and alienated. Actually, maybe it's karma that he would find a girl that he could really fall for and he would have spent the last year making her hate him. The real irony is he really was attracted to her the first time he saw her and now years later, he finally really kisses her and it was amazing! He should have gone with his instincts when he was twelve. Obviously he was smarter then than he is now.

Seeing his smile, she comes out of her haze and pulls her arms from his neck. She puts her hand on his chest to push him away indignant he would be laughing, "What is so funny?"

He shakes his head a little and tells her, "Veronica, this is a situation full of humor." He explains, "I kissed you to give all of the students hanging around waiting to see how I am handling my mother's death something else to talk about and mission accomplished, our kiss most certainly will cause a lot of talk." His face gentles and his eyes soften as he gazes at her. He caresses her cheek and finishes, "The funny thing is I just learned that I should have listened to my twelve year old self; kissing you is very hot."

Shocked at his statement that he wanted to kiss her when they were twelve, she looks up at him looking confused. He reminds her, "Remember I told you that in the limo at Homecoming?"

She remembers what he is talking about and tells him, "I thought you were joking about that."

He leans closer and says quietly, "No, I thought you were hot the first time I saw you; those short soccer shorts do it for me."

The first bell rings loudly interrupting their discussion. Veronica looks up the hall and sees that a lot of students are whispering about them. She worries, "Now everyone is sure we are dating."

Logan pulls himself out of his Veronica fog, puts his arm around her and pulls her towards his locker, "Which brings me back to my original question; will you come to supper tonight?"

Veronica a little perturbed, looks at Logan and asks, "I don't want to. What is in it for me?"

Logan pretends to think and attempts, "You will get to have supper with a famous movie star."

She immediately frowns and says, "Are you trying to talk me into or out of this dinner?"

Logan laughs a little and lets go of her as they arrive at his locker. He opens it and says as he gets his books out for second period, "It would be a huge favor to me."

Shaking her head she says, "It is asking a lot. I would have to listen to your dad."

Logan adds, "And Trina."

Veronica looks a little pained and Logan smirks as she questions, "Trina's home?"

"Last night," he informs her. "Her movie shoot in England wrapped up." He puts his hand to his chin as if thinking and says slowly, "My dad is a good cook?"

"Mmm," she thinks aloud, "That is tempting. He's a good cook?"

Logan nods and says, "Better than he can act."

Frowning Veronica questions, "Way better?"

He can't resist and reaches over to hug her. It is obvious that she thinks his father is a horrible actor. He wonders if she realizes how rare it is for him to hear what someone really thinks. He teases, "OK, I will throw in lunch today; your choice."

Now she really frowns and says, "If I have to sit at the 09er table, it will upset my stomach. Forget it."

Logan sighs seeing she is serious. She is going to be a real handful! He sighs a little and says, "Wow you drive a hard bargain. How about lunch without any 09er girls?"

"Deal," she agrees. She turns and backs away from Logan and says, "Italian and I will be starving." She turns and walks towards her class leaving him to go the other direction towards his first period classroom. He smiles at her attitude. He knew she was going to support him today. He likes that she is bargaining for a better deal though. She is going to keep it interesting between them.

Sitting in first period Logan thinks about his kiss with Veronica. He hasn't been that into a kiss in a really long time. He ponders that maybe it was like when he first dated Lilly and was so passionate about her. This kiss was different though. He definitely felt passion, but he also felt protective and caring. Whatever adjective he uses, it was a kiss for the books. It had started off teasing and gentle but soon had taken on a life of its own. Who knew that Veronica Mars could kiss like that?

Although he planned the kiss to turn the students' attention away from how he is dealing with the loss of his mother, he did not intend to give them that much of a show. Everyone was looking at him with sympathy and he knew they were all going to tell him how sorry they were. He just could not deal with that so he had stayed with Veronica knowing that most people would not interrupt them. Now they were looking at him wondering about his relationship with Veronica. Most everyone thought they hated each other; now that was obviously not true. Many were wondering what Duncan thought about their relationship and how the other 09ers would react and what would happen at lunch. Logan found he was grateful for the ordinary high school drama. He sat in class and thought again about how stupid he had been to let Veronica out of his life. He needed her and he wanted her. He liked to talk to her, hold her and now he wanted to kiss her again. He definitely wanted to explore his feelings for her and see where their relationship could go. She was the bright spot in his life right and he intended to hold onto her.

At lunch Logan walks towards his locker with Dick and Madison. Madison is hanging on to Logan's arm telling him that if he needs someone to talk to, he can call or come over to her house and see her. Logan gently pulls his arm out of her grasp and says firmly, "I'll talk to Ronnie if I need to talk. Thanks."

Madison looks put out but whatever she was going to say was lost to Logan as he spots Veronica walking through the doors on the other end of the hallway. His face lights up and anyone who wondered if Logan was using Veronica or setting her up for a prank, stops wondering. Logan obviously cares about Veronica. Veronica spotting Logan tilts her head and walks towards him.

Dick walking beside Logan tells him, "I ordered Jason's." Logan looks over at him and shakes his head. He says as he veers off towards his locker, "Ronnie wants Italian today. I ordered from Luigi's." He ignores that he upset Madison and Dick's surprised look.

The students watch as he smiles at Veronica and tilts his head towards his locker indicating she should meet him there. Focused on Veronica he absently waves Dick and Madison to head to the Quad without him. They leave and the students watching see that Madison is really upset.

When Veronica arrives Logan looks over at her and tells her, "I ordered lunch." Their gazes meet and both feel a little shy; the morning kiss still on both their minds.

She meets his gaze telling him, "I am starved."

He turns to face her and quietly asks her about her morning. Veronica sweetly tells him that everyone has been very supportive of her relationship with him and has asked her what they can do to support Logan through his troubles. He sees that she is not upset about how her morning went. He frowns a little at her in disbelief. Seeing he doesn't really believe her she adds, "Really Logan, I didn't have to tazer anyone, it was fine."

He looks down at her and his gaze softens. He says softly, "I don't get to see you all day."

Veronica points out, "You could transfer to AP classes."

Logan immediately frowns and says dismissively, "Too much work."

He puts his arm around her shoulders and escorts her out to the quad listening while she talks to him about the importance of AP classes to getting into college. He waves off her concerns about his grades and says, "My father will throw a bunch of money at whatever college I decide to go to."

Frowning Veronica comments, "I don't know why everyone hates rich people."

Logan laughs at her disgruntled expression and waves his arm stating, "People love me."

She looks at him a little incredulously and then tries to pull away to sit at her usual table as they pass it. Logan holds onto her and says, "We are sitting at my usual table."

Veronica balks and says, "No, you promised me I wouldn't have to deal with any of the 09ers."

He firmly guides her towards his table and answers, "No the deal was no 09er girls." The students watching see that she doesn't want to sit at his table and he is insisting.

She looks up at him and says, "Which also means no 09er guys because they will want to sit with their girlfriends." She pouts and says, "We talked about my indigestion problem."

He smiles at her pout and tells her, "I didn't agree to sit at your table though."

Arriving at his table, he smiles at her obvious disgruntlement and sits them both down on one side. The students see that Veronica does not look happy to be there.

Dick, Madison, Cassidy, John, Kim and Susan walk over to sit at the table with him. Logan holds up his hand stopping them and says, "This is a 'mean girls' free table."

They all look stunned at him; especially Veronica. "What?" Madison screeches, "I always sit here."

Logan shakes his head and corrects her, "No, I always sit here and now Veronica sits here." He waves them all over to another table and then looks over at Veronica and tells her, "Dad says supper is at 7 pm."

Madison stands there stunned that she is banned from Logan's table and then hearing that Veronica is having dinner at Logan's with his father is just too much. She tosses her head as if she doesn't care and goes over to the next table to sit.

The students in the Quad watch as Logan doesn't even notice where she goes to sit. Kim and Susan go with her and after a pause; Dick and John go and sit with their girlfriends.

Cassidy sits at Logan's table and Logan tells him he ordered Italian. Cassidy nods and says a quiet hello to Veronica. She nods back at him. He asks her if she has her homework done for Chemistry and she tells him she does. Cassidy talks about how this section is easy but he thinks that the exam may be hard. Casey comes out onto the Quad and holds the door for Meg. They both walk together over and sit at Logan's table. Luke arrives from the other side of the open area near the gym lockers. He sits at the table and says, "I'm starved. Coach made us run six miles today."

Casey teasingly questions why the coach makes him run so far. He says, "It is only what 90 feet between the bases?" Luke laughs and complains, "Why does everyone think baseball is so easy?" The guys laugh having heard this complaint from Luke before.

Cassidy tells the group that the new European Race video game is out and that Dick bought it.

Curious Logan asks, "Is it good?"

Cassidy talks about the game describing the choices of countries to drive in and cars you can choose. Luke talks about which car he heard drives the best. Logan asks a few questions and then spotting the delivery guy raises his arm. He hands the bag to Veronica to distribute while he pays.

The talk at lunch is relaxed and friendly. Meg is teased about being allowed at the 'non mean girls' table. She smiles at Logan and says, "Logan texted me he was buying Italian as long as I didn't stray to the dark side."

Logan laughs at her and says, "Wow a science fiction reference from Cheerleader Meg. I am impressed."

She makes a face at him and says, "Hey I go to the movies too."

Veronica eats not saying much. She is still in total shock that Logan would force Madison, Susan and Kim to sit at another table. He had arranged for Casey, Luke and Cassidy to sit with them. They were the only 09er guys that Veronica found tolerable. He also texted Meg to come and sit with them knowing that Meg is the only 09er girl that has been nice to Veronica. She doesn't know what to think. Logan has told her he wants to be her friend again and well, this is really a good first move.

Veronica can't stop thinking about their kiss. She knows Logan kissed her to make the inquisition about his mother go away but she is totally blown away by that kiss. I mean she has heard that he is a good kisser. Well the rumors are he is good at a lot of things and Veronica knows Lilly thought Logan was a good lover. Veronica just never thought of him like that. He has always been off limits and now everyone at school thinks they are dating. Actually probably anyone who reads tabloids or watches entertainment shows thinks they are dating.

Logan notices how quiet Veronica is. He nudges her and smiles when she looks up at him. He offers her a bite of his lasagna. She takes it and chews it. After she swallows she tells him, "It's good."

He looks at her and agrees, "Yes, it is."

Veronica can see he is not talking about the food. She blushes a little and looks back down at her meal. The students in the quad and the 09ers at the table can see how close Logan and Veronica have grown.

When the bell rings, Logan asks Veronica what she is going to do after school. She tells him she is working for her dad and walking Back Up. The table asks her about her dog and his name. Logan tells them that Back Up is a pit bull and her father trained him to protect her. Luke laughs and teases, "That makes sense. They say dogs are like their owners,"

The group laughs at the look of outrage on Veronica's face and Logan deflects her annoyance by telling the group, "He's a man killer but he loves me." He bumps his hip against hers.

She shrugs and agrees, "I don't get it but Back Up does love you."

The guys laugh at Veronica's way of deflating Logan's ego.

Logan looks over at Dick and says, "Are you and Beav up for racing across Germany after school?"

Dick always happy to play video games, especially his new one says, "Sweet." Logan bumps fists with Dick and then Cassidy before he turns away with Veronica to walk her to her locker.

Monday afternoon

Logan looks at his phone and sees Veronica's number. He smiles as he opens his phone to answer, "Sugarpuss."

Dick notices the look on Logan's face when Veronica calls. He has never seen his friend so happy except maybe with Lilly. He never thought of Logan together with Veronica. The sweet Veronica from before Lilly died was too innocent and sugary. This Veronica is tough, sassy and hot. She seems to be perfect for Logan.

Dick listens as Logan deflects Veronica's annoyance at the pet name and then talks to Veronica making arrangements to pick her up for supper.

When Logan gets off the phone Dick says, "Dude, I still can't believe you are dating Veronica Mars."

Logan looks at Dick and questions, "You are surprised in a good way though?"

Dick looks at his friend and answers, "She's hot. It's just….."

Logan asks, "What?"

Dick ventures, "She can be a …"

Logan smirks and supplies, "Bitch?"

Dick relieved that Logan is not mad agrees, "Well yeah."

Logan laughs showing Dick he is not upset. He sobers and tells his friend, "The thing is, she will also be there when you need her."

Dick knows that Veronica has really helped Logan deal with his mother's suicide. He nods. Logan pauses and tells his friend, "Ronnie makes me happy."

Dick looking at Logan can see he is serious about her. Logan turns to Dick and says, "I'll make a deal with you. If you make nice with Veronica, I will make it so Madison is all over you."

"How will you do that?" Dick asks.

Logan smirks and says, "By making you cat nip of course"

Dick looks confused so Logan explains, "Girls like Madison are like cats; they like shiny objects and only give affection if there is something in it for them." He takes a sip of his water and says, "We will just have to show Madison that you have something she wants."

"What do I have that she wants?" Dick gestures at his body and adds, "Besides the obvious, I mean."

Logan laughs and says, "Let me handle that." He meets Dick's gaze and says, "Do we have a deal?"

Dick nods and says, "Sure." He deflates the seriousness of the conversation by pointing out, "The guys are wondering if Veronica is tiny everywhere?"

Logan frowns at Dick who raises his hands to ward off Logan's annoyance. He says, "I'm just saying dude," as he picks up the controller and depresses a button to restart their game.

Shaking his head at his friend's manner, Logan picks up his controller and focuses on the game as well.


	4. Chapter 4

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story there is no Wallace although he is one of my favorite characters. Otherwise things are unchanged. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She is there for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan thinks about his relationship with Veronica and when he talks to her about becoming friends again, she gets upset and tells Logan the old Veronica is gone. When he tells her he won't give up, she cries and he holds her. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. _

Logan arrives to pick Veronica up at her father's PI office. She is sitting at the receptionist's desk talking on the telephone. He listens as she takes down information, asking pertinent questions from time to time. Logan can tell the person on the phone suspects his girlfriend or maybe fiancé of cheating.

When she is done, she smiles at Logan and comments, "You're early."

He walks up to the desk and waves his hands, "So this is where the magic happens."

Teasingly she asks, "Do you want the tour?" She gets up and raises her voice, "This is where I sit. I answer phone, answer the mail, pay the bills, send out invoices and do basic research on the computer." She walks to the next office and says, "My dad sits here and well, I am not too sure what he does when he is here."

Logan smiles enjoying the way Veronica is teasing her father. He hears Mr. Mars' voice, "I keep telling you it is all about delegation."

Veronica tells him about the new client and how she will start the paperwork tomorrow and then she tells him, "I'm headed out."

"Please tell you are doing something a normal sixteen year old girl would do," Keith banters back.

Frowning at his words, she answers in a perky voice, "Well if my subscription to Teen World is accurate, I am supposed to spend my father's money on clothes and shoes he doesn't approve of and then I am supposed to date boys that make him worry."

Keith rejoins, "Well Pumpkin, maybe I shouldn't mention that you own too many pairs of boots and your skirts are too short." He adds, "I guess I'll go for the trifecta and come out and talk to Logan."

"My skirts are not too short," she tells him indignantly. Logan smiles that she would not be upset about her boots or the fact that Mr. Mars just agreed that he is a boy that a father should worry about.

Logan mouths to her as she comes out of the office, "I like them.'

She frowns at him and steps aside to let Keith come out of the office, "Hello Logan. I haven't seen you in a while."

Logan nods and says, "No. How are you Mr. Mars?"

Kieth walks over and leans against Veronica's desk, answering, "I am good. How are you doing?"

Shrugging, Logan tells him quietly, "Catching up from the week of school I missed."

"I was sorry to hear about your mother," Keith tells the obviously uncomfortable young man standing in front of him.

Unsure how to answer that, Logan just nods. Veronica rescues Logan, "We have to go." She walks over and picks up her messenger bag and adds, "I won't be late." She gives her dad a peck on the cheek and then ushers Logan out the door yelling a quick goodbye over her shoulder.

Logan opens the passenger door for Veronica and then walks around and gets in his Xterra. Instead of driving them directly to his house, he stops at the beach.

When Veronica looks at him inquiringly, he explains, "I want to talk to you about something before we have supper with Dad and Trina."

Dutifully Veronica walks with Logan to a bench and sits beside him. Logan starts, "I wanted to talk to you about all the publicity and the rumors about us dating."

Veronica puts her hand on his arm and say earnestly, "Don't worry about that Logan. You have enough to worry about."

Immediately shaking his head, Logan tells her, "I'm not worried. I am happy about it."

Veronica's surprised blue eyes seek out Logan's soft brown ones. She asks, "What?"

Logan turns facing her. He puts an arm along the back of the bench and answers quietly, "I want to date you."

Veronica looks at Logan and he can see she is speechless. He is a little amused as she is not often in this state, at least with him. As the silence goes on, it is obvious she doesn't know what to say. Finally she asks, her voice uncertain, "Logan, do you mean date date?"

Logan smiles at her question. He clarifies, "I mean I want you to be my girlfriend and I want to be your boyfriend."

Veronica again appears to be dumbstruck. Logan watching her decides that enough is enough. He reaches over and takes her arm pulling her from her sitting facing him into his arms. He puts a hand in her hair and tilts her face up towards his and then leans down and kisses her.

Veronica, astounded from their conversation and then being pulled into Logan's arms, is passive. Lying there in his arms pressed close to his body, she is yielding. She feels Logan's soft, warm lips over hers but part of her can't really believe it is real. He gently touches her lips with his tongue and still submissive, she opens her lips to his kiss. Logan immediately deepens the kiss and Veronica feels the world disappear except for Logan kissing her.

Finally, her cloudy mind awakens and she joins in the kiss; closing her eyes, sliding her arms up, running one hand to the back of his head and the other to the back of his shoulder. She presses herself closer to him, kissing him back. Logan responds to her touch by pulling her even closer. They break the kiss when they need air and look at each other breathlessly. Two teens who have known each other for years look in wonder, seeing the need that has awakened in the other and wondering what it means. Logan's eyes have darkened and his breathing is uneven and a little labored. Veronica's eyes are huge in her face.

Breathlessly she asks, "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," he answers, but he is a teen age boy who has a girl he is really attracted to in his arms. He definitely doesn't want to talk right now. Without further conversation, he leans down and kisses her again. Veronica feeling his talented lips over hers decides that talking can wait until later as well and joins in the kiss.

Logan kisses down her jaw to behind her ear. He feels her breath hitch and sees her eyes close and her tilt her head granting him better access. He smiles to himself knowing he has discovered a weapon in his battle with Miss Mars and he is sure it is going to be a battle. She usually gives as good as she gets.

Veronica for her part is in a haze of pleasure. She knew Logan was a good kisser from listening to Lilly talk about him, but she had no idea how good until now.

Logan lifts up from his exploration of her neck and tells her, "I've wanted to do that since our kiss this morning."

Veronica's eyes open and she looks a little dazed. She takes a deep breath and says, "I guess I can live with girlfriend."

Logan smiles and says, "Good." He adds, "Now where were we?"

Veronica smiles a little and asks, "Don't we have to be at your house for supper soon?"

Logan leans down to kiss her again and says, "We have a few minutes," and places his lips over hers again.

After supper Logan hands Veronica a piece of paper. When Veronica opens it, it has his mother's social security number and the numbers of all her credit cards. Veronica looks at it and feels the emotions rise in her chest at his trust. She tucks the paper in her pants pocket. She looks up at Logan and their gazes meet. Logan reads the surprise and happiness in hers and she sees the gentle trust in his. Veronica steps closer to Logan and wraps her arms around his neck. She mashes her mouth to his and kisses him with all the emotions she feels inside. Logan was initially taken aback but quickly settles into the kiss by turning his head and sealing their lips together and wrapping his arms around her.

Aaron walking by the living room is just in time to see Veronica kiss Logan. He sees his son respond. He thinks maybe there is more to this relationship than he is aware. He can see his son feels strongly about Veronica. Logan rarely brings girls he dates home and when he did, Aaron could see he felt nothing for them.

He also can see the changes in Veronica. She is not the sweet, shy girl she used to be. Her hair is much shorter and she no longer wears those demure skirts and dresses. Veronica was still quiet; now she confidently asked questions taking more control of the conversation. She didn't blush easily and look away, often uncomfortable. Now her blue eyes were sharp and penetrating. No this Veronica is number one in her class, headed to college to study criminology and works for her father at his PI office. She is smart, sexy and nobody's fool. He can see why Logan is interested in her now.

Aaron, used to using his charm to win over Logan's dates and friends, is a little taken a back at her complete disinterest in him. She treats him like her boyfriend's father; like he is someone she has to be nice to because he is related to her boyfriend. When Logan got a telephone call and stepped out for a minute, Aaron confidently told her they should get to know each other seeing as they were both important to Logan. He suggested she come over and see him after school one day. She had looked at him with her penetrating blue eyes for a moment and Aaron had felt like she saw beneath the façade of doting father/grieving widower that he was carefully cultivating. Then the moment passed and she calmly told him she worked after school everyday. When Logan returned, she smiled happy to see him. Aaron, good at reading people, realized that she was a girl who hid her thoughts well and was very observant. He could see that he would have to be careful around her. She would notice if Logan was injured and she would not be easily manipulated.

Veronica turns to Logan as he parks in front of her apartment complex. Tilting her head a little at her new boyfriend, she tells him that he must never leave her alone with his father again. Logan is immediately upset and suspicious. Veronica takes his hand and admits, "He flirted with me Logan. It was creepy and ….." Surprised at her aggravated tone, Logan looks at her as she continues, "He's as old as my dad."

Logan smirks as he sees her genuine distaste. She squeezes his hand and vows, "I promise never to leave you alone with my gun toting, overprotective father if you never leave me alone with your…"

She pauses and Logan finishes, "Middle aged, lying, adulterer father."

Veronica is a little surprised at how he is describing his father, but agrees, "Well yes."

Logan leans over and takes her face in his hands. "I promise," he says as he leans in and kisses her. Veronica's eyes close and she returns his kiss.

When the kiss is over, she leans into Logan and asks a little indignantly, "Why didn't you warn me your father hit on your girlfriends?" She sees his surprise and guesses, " You thought he wouldn't be interested in me."

Logan shakes his head immediately and tells her, "Actually, you are the only one who has complained." He sees the look on Veronica's face and just loves her more; she's actually shocked that anyone would be interested in Aaron when they are dating Logan. He leans in and kisses her again. This time it is slow and full of emotion.

He looks down at her and takes a moment to think about how amazing she is. He doubts she even understands how good she makes him feel. Gently he leans down and puts his forehead to hers and says, "I'll walk you to the door." He gently kisses her and then gets out going around his vehicle to open her door.

She hops out and walks with him up to her apartment holding his hand. She comments as they walk, "Your dad is a good cook though."

Logan nods, agreeing, "He is."

When they reach the door Veronica says, "Before school tomorrow then?"

Logan leans in and says with his lips above hers, "7:30 am sharp."

_Tuesday morning_

The next morning Logan walks in to the school with Veronica. She is talking on her phone and Logan can hear she is asking about her car. He frowns as he wonders how she is going to pay for the repairs. She is wearing tight light blue jeans with a black t shirt that says, "I'll try to be nicer when you try to be smarter."

After she gets off the phone, Logan asks her about her car and she tells him it will be ready this afternoon. He leans beside her locker and asks, "What did you need done?"

Absently she tells him that the hood had to be repainted again and she got four more tires. Logan offers, "I'll drive you after school to pick up your car." He looks at her watching as she digs through her messenger bag to get her books out and says at little tentatively, "Veronica?"

She looks over at him, "What?"

He tells her, "I think I should pay for the paint job and new tires. It is my fault your car needs them."

"Did you do it?" she asks.

He immediately shakes his head but confesses, "No but it's because I started the vendetta against you that your car needs repairs."

She pauses in what she is doing and really looks at Logan. She asks, "Did you tell Dick to puncture two tires and scratch the word 'slut' on my car?"

Her new boyfriend looks uncomfortable as he answers, "No, but I high fived him when he told me."

Veronica sighs a little and looks back in her locker. She is quiet for a few seconds and Logan really doesn't know what to say. He reaches out and takes her elbow getting her to look at him. "I am so sorry for everything I said and did to you. I led the charge against you and I caused you a lot of pain."

She shakes her head stopping his apology. He feels the familiar pressure in his chest when he sees her hunch her shoulders in upset. "Logan stop," she puts up her hand. There is a pause between them. She looks at him and tells him, "I know you orchestrated a lot of the pranks and rumors about me." She meets his gaze and continues, "You've apologized. I'm not going to tell you I am over them but we can work through it."

Logan feels relief that she is going to forgive him; she's going to let him make it up to her. She looks away a few seconds and Logan can see she is taking a few deep breaths and letting them out slowly; getting control of her emotions. Finally she meets his gaze and his heart lurches at the pain in her eyes. She says warningly, "If I thought you knew about or OK'd what else happened, we wouldn't be dating now."

Unsure and upset about the turn in the conversation, he questions, "What do you mean?" Veronica opens her mouth to answer when a group of 09ers call out greetings to Logan as they pass by. He looks over and nods in greeting. When he turns his attention back to Veronica, she is gathering her books from her locker.

Logan questioningly says, "Veronica?"

Finally she looks back at him and says sadly, "Some things are unforgivable."

Really alarmed at her posture and tone, Logan reaches out to pull her close. Before he can ask her what she is talking about, they are interrupted by two freshmen running through the hall being chased by two junior guys. There is yelling and a student trying to get out of their way is bumped into Logan interrupting their moment. The student looks freaked out. He quickly picks up his books, apologizes and leaves not wanting to be in trouble for bumping into the king of the 09ers. The moment between Logan and Veronica is interrupted.

He turns back to Veronica to talk to her about it and she shakes her head letting him know this isn't the right time or place for this conversation. She says, "Logan we just started dating. Dealing with the past year is going to take some time. Let's just go one day at a time."

He sees that she doesn't want to talk or deal with everything right now. Although he can see her point, he has a niggling worry that something is really wrong between them.

She in turn sees he is going to let things go for now so she says her tone more reconciling, "I will pay for my car repairs. I usually just get the scratched area sanded and repainted and used tires aren't that expensive."

Logan puts his head back against the locker and sighs. He says, "So you drive around on used tires?"

She looks at him and sees he is upset but not at her. She says quietly, "It's all I can afford." She points out, "It would be stupid for me to get new tires. They usually don't last that long anyways."

Logan shakes his head. He doesn't want her driving around on used tires but he knows that he isn't in a position to share his worries about that with her. He decides that now that the students are stopping their vendetta against her, she will be able to get better tires and not have to worry about changing them so often. He says, "I have been such an asshole!"

Veronica doesn't agree or disagree. She just puts her lunch in her locker and Logan noticing says, "I was going to get pizza for lunch."

Veronica tells him, "Today I have Chess Club at lunch."

"Chess Club?" he questions. He knows that there are many days she doesn't appear at lunch in the Quad but he didn't think about why she wasn't there. He comments, "I didn't know you still played chess."

She looks at him and then mildly says, "It looks good on my college applications."

He nods but doesn't say anything more about it. He knows that her dad taught her to play when they were younger. He and Lilly used to tease her about it but they were both a little jealous that the Mars had family game nights once a week. Of course that was before her mother left.

As they walk towards Logan's locker he takes her hand and asks, "Are you working at your dad's office after school?"

Veronica shakes her head and says, "I am going to pick up my car and then I have to do a stakeout later."

Logan, a little alarmed, questions, "You do stakeouts?"

"Just the cheating spouses," she reassures. "My dad does the heavy hitters." Logan continues to look upset and Veronica adds, "I take Back Up with me and I study while I wait. I just take pictures." She cajoles when he doesn't look happy, "From far away." Finally, seeing he is still upset, she says firmly, "Logan, this is my life now. I told you I am not the same as I was."

Logan is not reassured but he decides to let the issue go for now. He opens his locker and changes out his books as he thinks. Finally he looks over at Veronica and says tentatively, "Veronica."

She looks at him in question and he says, "There is a lot of talk about you and the PCHers."

Veronica frowns at Logan and tells him, "Weevil's uncle owns a body shop. He keeps an eye out for tires for my car." She looks away up the hallway for a second and then looks back at him. She finishes, "I do PI favors for the PCHers and Weevil gets me a deal on the paint jobs and parts when my LeBaron breaks down."

"You shouldn't be dealing with the PCHers…," his voice trails off as he notices her angry look.

She puts her hands on her hips and says, "So of all the rumors of me servicing all the sports teams at Neptune and Pan, most of my teachers male and female, and the PCHers; it is the ones of me 'doing favors' for the PCHers that bothers you?" she asks using hand quotes for effect.

Immediately Logan stands and puts his hands on her shoulders. He looks into her angry face and reassures, "No one believes those rumors."

Veronica looks at Logan in shock and then disbelief. She opens her mouth to talk and then when it becomes obvious that she really doesn't know what to say, she closes it.

Logan feels the anxiety rise in him. He can see that he has upset her so much that she either doesn't know what to say or doesn't want to say whatever has come to her mind. Either choice is not good. He is really unsure what to say to make things right.

Finally Veronica says, "There is no truth. There is only perception. Gustave Flaubert." She turns and sidesteps Casey who was approaching her and Logan. She walks towards her first period class and Logan lets her go. He knows he has stepped on a landmine or two during their conversation. With a typical guy's hindsight, he knows he has upset his girlfriend. He is not sure what he said that was wrong and he is definitely not sure how to fix it.

Logan looks over at Casey and greets him, "Hey."

Casey, unsure at what he just interrupted, quietly tells Logan, "I was coming over to invite you and Veronica to my party on Friday night."

Logan bumps fists with Casey and says, "Sounds good. I'll see if Veronica is working." Logan shuts his locker and starts to walk towards his first class. Casey falls in beside him as they are in first period together. There is a short, somewhat awkward pause and then Casey tentatively admits, "I heard the last part of your conversation with Veronica."

Logan frowns at Casey and Casey ventures, "Look, I think that maybe you don't understand how bad things are here for Veronica."

Logan stops walking and turns toward Casey. He asks, "What do you mean?"

Casey explains, "You know about the locker decorations, her clothes being thrown in the toilet after gym class, her car troubles, the rumors," Casey waves his arm vaguely and finishes, "and all that." He looks around and sees that no one can overhear and continues, "You aren't in class with her. No one will partner with her in class or group projects. She sits alone, walks alone, eats alone and no one talks to her unless it is to say something ugly to her about being a slut, or how they are glad her father lost his job, or how Duncan dropped her or how she was never Lilly's friend."

Logan looks upset and says, "She got tougher and stopped most of the pranks though."

Casey shifts a little and shares, "The guy who ran the Moon Calf Collective really wanted me to reach out to Veronica. He said she was hurting and alone." He adds, "I know she was pretending to be estranged from her family so she could be there and get information for my parents." He pauses and then adds a little sadly, "But she kind of fit in."

Surprised and worried, Logan thinks about what Casey is telling him. Casey says, "Her punishment has been going on a long time Logan. It's good you are playing nice now but her reputation and her standing in the school, that's not going to change easily."

Logan sighs and says, "I know." They walk towards their class in silence. Logan thinks about his conversations with Veronica and Casey. He begins to realize that his anger since Lilly died may have done more harm to Veronica than he knows. He thinks about how she believes that her reputation now is irreparable; the saying she quoted told him that. Negative things about her were said so often that, in the students at Neptune High's perceptions, they are the truth now. He doesn't know what to think about that. He is really uncomfortable and unsure. He wants to fix everything; make it up to her, but deep down he knows that isn't possible.

Logan misses talking to Veronica before lunch because one of his teachers wanted to talk to him about assignments that he missed while he was absent. He decides to bring some pizza to her in chess club. He is curious to see how good a chess player she is now and, of course, he is going to tease her about being a chess club nerd. Mostly though he wants to do something nice for her; he is unsettled about how upset he made her this morning.

When he arrives and looks in the doorway, there are students paired up playing chess but he doesn't see Veronica. The students all look at him as he walks in obviously surprised to see Logan Echolls in their room at lunch. Logan walks over and asks Mr. Ball if Veronica is there and he points to the back of the room in the corner that can not be seen from the doorway.

Logan looks over and sees that Veronica is sitting in front of her computer with her headphones on eating a sandwich. He walks over and when he gets near her she looks up and sees him there with the pizza. She smiles and pulls her headphones off. He leans down and gently kisses her hello and says, "I brought you some pizza for lunch."

Veronica moves her computer over so he can set the pizza down. Logan grabs a desk and moves it nearer to her. As he sits he sees that she is playing a game of chess against the computer. He looks over and sees that there are students who don't have a partner and he jokes as he points to her computer, "Are you finished demoralizing all your classmates and are looking for tougher competition?" She answers as she reaches over to make a move on the computer, "I doubt I am much competition for them."

Logan realizes that she has been in chess club for months and even the nerds of the school won't play her at chess or talk to her. She is obviously used to it having loaded a chess program on her computer and wearing head phones. He feels pain in his gut at how thoroughly he has isolated her and how much he has hurt her. He takes a piece of pizza and bites into it.

He realizes that Veronica is talking and tunes back into what she is saying, "in a couple of weeks, we will find out."

He frowns and asks, "Find out what?"

She looks at him confused that he didn't understand what she was telling him and repeats, "Whether I will be any competition for them." She waves over to the rest of the Chess Club Members.

Logan still looks a little confused and she says, "Competition? Neptune High Champion?" She can see he doesn't know what she is talking about, "You weren't listening, were you?" He sees she looks a little exasperated that he is not paying attention to her.

He jokes, "I just have never been so overwhelmed with nerdiness before."

Veronica smiles a little and Logan is relieved that she has let him lighten the mood. She takes a bite of her pizza and looks back at the computer screen deciding what to do.

He watches as she makes a move and then the computer moves. After a few moves he asks, "What level are you playing at?"

She absently answers, "Six," as she makes a counter move. Logan looks at her in surprise and then smiles. He shouldn't be surprised that she is a good chess player. Really it is a game of planning and cunning.

He looks around the room and sees last year's picture of the Chess Team on the wall. He says, "You weren't in Chess Club last year?"

She looks at Logan and answers a little absently, "Yes, I was."

She follows his gaze over to the picture on the wall and answers his unasked question, "I guess they forgot to tell me when picture day was." She looks back over at her game and concentrates on her next move missing the anger on Logan's face that the students would deliberately get their picture taken without Veronica. He looks at Mr. Ball and wonders why a teacher would allow students to ignore one of the members like he did.

Logan doesn't even know any of the kids in the club. The likelihood of them ever coming on his or any other 09er radar is remote. He wonders why they would go along with the social isolation. As he thinks about it, he realizes that many of their parents probably work for Kane Industries and they are following Jake's vendetta against Keith Mars. Veronica is just caught in the fallout.

He looks back at Veronica and sees that she is focused on the computer game. He admires how she can turn her complete attention to something like a game or a problem.

He leans in and quietly asks, "Have you seen Duncan today?"

Veronica turns her face away from looking at the computer screen and looks at her boyfriend. She sees that he looks a little concerned. She nods and tells him that Duncan was in her English, Chemistry and World History classes that morning. She asks, "Why?"

Logan meets her questioning gaze and answers, "He has not answered any of my calls or texts the last few days."

Veronica leans in and asks, "Are you worried he is upset with you?"

He reaches up and gently moves her hair settling it behind her ear as he answers, "Well he didn't show up at lunch yesterday or today and a few of the guys tell me that he won't talk about you and I dating."

Veronica frowns in thought as she eats and points out, "He saw us at your mom's funeral and I imagine in the tabloids."

Logan nods. Veronica looks at Logan and questions, "I thought you went over and played video games with him?"

Logan nods again and agrees, "I did." He takes her hand and holds it with his adding, "We never talked about you though."

She looks at him in disbelief but after she thinks for a few seconds, she shrugs a little and says, "I really doubt he is upset that we are dating. He broke up with me over a year ago and he has hooked up with Shelley and other girls since then."

A little shocked that she knew, Logan squeezes her hand lightly, "How did you know about that?"

Veronica sighs and tells him, "A lot of students felt I should know that Duncan moved on."

Logan thinks about how cruelly they would tell her and grimaces a little. He says, "I can imagine."

She turns his hand over and looks at the palm. She takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly, "He is a rich, handsome guy. I didn't think he was pining for me or anything." Veronica looks at him and points out, "It might be awkward for you if he won't be around you if I'm there."

He sees where this is going and puts his other hand over their joined hands. He leans really close and says, "I'm not going to stop seeing you because of DK. I probably should have talked to him about us though."

Veronica looks sad and says, "It's pretty clear he hates me. He hasn't said twenty words to me since he stopped talking to me."

Logan frowns as he thinks about what she is telling him. He sits back and thinks about how his best friend didn't join in any harassment of Veronica but just watched it or walked off; not stopping it either. He runs his hand through his hair as he thinks. Finally he says, "I'll talk to DK tonight."

She looks at him and says, "Good idea." Lifting her face to him, she says, "Thank you for the pizza. You are a good boyfriend." She points to her lips and says, "Too much talking and not enough kissing here Echolls."

He leans down to kiss her. He couldn't agree more.


	5. Chapter 5

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story there is no Wallace although he is one of my favorite characters. Otherwise things are unchanged. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She is there for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan thinks about his relationship with Veronica and when he talks to her about becoming friends again, she gets upset and tells Logan the old Veronica is gone. When he tells her he won't give up, she cries and he holds her. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan spends one day with Veronica and sees that although he knew his anger led to her social isolation, he really didn't understand the full extent of how alone she is._

Logan looks over at his best friend in disbelief. He has always been quiet and calm but since last year, Duncan has been eerily calm and unemotional. Right now though, Logan sees that his best friend is really upset at him.

The current round on the gaming system forgotten, Logan explains, "I know it seems sudden but when Mom," he pauses and then continues, "died I realized that my fight with Veronica was stupid. It's not her fault that her father was wrong. I never should have punished her." He can see that his friend is listening but is not making eye contact with him right now. Unsure what to say, Logan decides that going with the truth is the best thing right now. "We have spent a lot of time together and well," he rubs his hand through his hair, "we are attracted to each other."

Duncan remains quiet, unmoving looking down at his controller in his hands.

Really thrown that he misjudged the whole situation, Logan rationalizes, "DK, I didn't think you would be upset. You completely ignore her. She says you have only said twenty words to her since you guys broke up."

He looks at his friend who is looking at the game controller and hasn't looked up since he brought up Veronica's name. Logan says, "You have dated others, she has dated others. It's been months…"

The quiet in the room is unnerving to the normally outspoken young man. Finally he points out, "You are Meg's secret admirer."

Duncan interrupts, "I know."

Looking closely at his friend, Logan sees that he still has strong feelings for Veronica. Alarmed, he exclaims, "Shit! You still love her." Standing abruptly, Logan runs a hand through his hair. It is perplexing and disconcerting to discover that his best friend is still carrying a torch for Veronica after all this time. He hasn't spoken of her, he practically ignores her when they are in the same room and he doesn't interfere when Veronica is being vilified. Logan paces away and then walks back towards Duncan. Logan knows he is missing part of the puzzle. He doesn't understand why, if DK loves Veronica he broke up with her and allowed her to be mistreated. "What did Veronica do that was so bad that you broke up with her if you love her?"

Duncan sits almost unmoving in his spot in front of the TV. After a few seconds, he shrugs his shoulders without answering. Always the more volatile of the two, Logan declares, "I've asked her and she says you never told her why you broke up with her. I figured that she did something really bad for you to dump her after you guys dated for so long." He runs his hand agitatedly through his already mussed hair and says, "This affects all of us. I need to know. Why did you break up with Veronica if you still love her?"

Duncan wipes his hand across his face, "I can't tell you."

"No DK." Logan says forcefully, "That's not good enough anymore. We've been friends, best friends for years. You need to tell me why you broke it off with her." He adds, "I can't keep working in the dark. I have to know what is going on."

Duncan looks upset, almost sick. Logan presses, "I chose you man. I stood by you and your family. I was glad Mr. Mars lost his job. I turned the school against Veronica." He looks at his friend and asserts, "I think you can tell me what Veronica did. Why did you break up with her? Why can't you date her now if you love her?"

When Duncan stays silent Logan changes tactics and guesses, "Is it because Celeste hates her? Logan moves so he can see his best friend's face. He carries on, "Cause the Ice Queen would hate anyone you dated."

Duncan bursts out, "Mom has good reason to hate Veronica."

Logan, surprised Duncan yelled, sits down in his spot on the couch and questions, "You broke up with the girl you love because your mom hates her? That's fucking stupid!"

Pushed, Duncan turns to Logan and says, "I broke up with Veronica because she's my sister."

There is silence as Logan stares in open mouthed shock. He knows his friend well and immediately decides that he is serious. Thinking hard about the possibilities, Logan quickly figures out that it was Duncan's father and Veronica's mother who had the affair. Still reeling from Duncan's proclamation and the resulting implications, Logan finds he doesn't even know what to say so he spits out, "What?"

Duncan, his voice devoid of emotion, explains how Leanne Reynolds and his father were high school sweethearts and everyone thought they would get married but they went to different colleges. His father met and married his mother while, at the same time, Leanne married Mr. Mars. A few years later, Leanne came back to visit her family and ran into Jake. They have been having an affair ever since. Leanne got Mr. Mars to take the Sheriff's position here so she could be nearer to Jake and he could see his daughter grow up.

Logan says, "That is.." He stops and tries again, "Are you sure? Veronica is so like Mr. Mars."

"My mom had a test done." Duncan tells him.

Logan shakes his head. His thoughts are racing. Finally he says, "DK, what reason did you give her for breaking up?"

Duncan bursts out, "I couldn't face her. I love her! I couldn't tell her why we couldn't be together."

There is a silence as Logan takes in that his friend did indeed just ignore Veronica. He also noticed that Duncan talked about loving Veronica in the present tense. Duncan continues, "Then Lilly was murdered and it was all too much. I started on the antidepressants and just tried to make it through each day."

There is so much more that Logan wants to know but he can see that Duncan is really hurting right now. Logan, frustrated at the whole crazy situation, comments incredulously, "I can't believe that your father and Veronica's mother would let you guys date when you and Veronica are related."

Finally a little anger shows through the smaller boy's demeanor, "My father has a lot to answer for."

His thoughts disjointed and chaotic, Logan thinks about how Jake Kane treated him like a second son and how much respect he has for him. Although a lot of rich men have affairs, Logan finds he is surprised that a man he has so much respect for has not only had a long term relationship but he has a daughter he has never acknowledged. Even more unbelievable is the fact that Jake would allow Veronica to become best friends with Lilly and date Duncan. Veronica was over to his house all the time and he was able to develop a relationship with her. Logan's thoughts darken as he thinks about how Jake spoke out against Mr. Mars knowing it was going to hurt a woman he had a relationship with since high school and his daughter. Repulsed at the direction of his thoughts, Logan wonders how far Jake and Leanne would have let the relationship between Duncan and Veronica progress. They dated over two years. It is conceivable that they had sex even though they were young. Logan feels his stomach churn as he thinks about what he would feel if he found out that he and Lilly were brother and sister.

Finally he thinks about how Duncan dated and fell in love with his sister. He knows that his friend planned to go to college with Veronica, marry her and have the two children, house and white picket fence with her. She was the one. Then to suddenly find out she is your sister. No wonder Duncan was so broken.

He is brought from his thoughts as Duncan says, "I told Lilly."

At first shocked that Lilly knew before she died, Logan remembers that after talking to her brother, Lilly had done a one eighty and told Veronica to get over her brother and find someone new.

Completely blown away by his conversation with Duncan, Logan walks over to the on suite bathroom and washes his face in the sink.

When he comes back in the room Duncan tells him that it he can still hardly bear to look at Veronica, be near her, smell her perfume, or remember their times together.

Logan goes over and sits on the couch next to Duncan. He puts his head back on the couch and closes his eyes. He understates, "This whole situation is fucked up!"

Duncan doesn't answer and Logan sits there thinking for a few minutes. He is not sure what he even feels about what he has learned.

Duncan looks at Logan and emphatically tells him that he can never tell Veronica the truth. He insists that she has been through enough and to find out that Keith is not her biological father would destroy her. Continuing he adds, "To find out she dated her brother for years would be awful for her."

Experienced with dealing with the public, Logan thinks about what the headlines would be if it became known that Veronica was a Kane. He understands what it took for Duncan to confide in him. Logan has his own secrets that he would be devastated if they became public so he feels a strong loyalty to his best friend. He agrees, "I won't give away your secret." Noting the relief on his friend's face, Logan counsels, "DK, you have to find a way to keep her in your life. She's your sister. Even if she never knows it, you have to be there for her."

Duncan just sits. He doesn't answer Logan.

"Fuck," Logan swears, "No wonder Lilly loved her so much!" He shakes his head as he thinks about how no one understood Lilly's attachment to Veronica. They were so different and yet, undeniably Lilly loved her.

The upset and troubled young man rubs his forehead as he thinks about what started this whole conversation. Logan had come over to talk to Duncan about how he felt about his dating Veronica. He found out a lot more than he bargained for.

Finally Logan addresses the problem between them, "Look, even if you don't want me to date her, guys are going to start asking her out now that I stopped my vendetta against her."

"I know," Duncan answers quietly. He sits looking at the ground between his feet.

Logan fiddles with his sleeves as he thinks.

Finally Duncan looks over at Logan, his brown eyes glittering with his emotions, and asks, "Do you love her?"

Logan slowly shakes his head and answers truthfully, "No, it's only been a few days." He keeps his best friend's gaze and goes on, "I feel more for her."

Duncan knows exactly what Logan is telling him. His friend has realized that there is something special about Veronica Mars. What Logan doesn't know is that Duncan actually understands a little why his father has been unable to give up seeing Leanne Mars. From what Duncan remembers of her, Mrs. Mars was warm, soft, caring and beautiful; very much like Veronica. He closes his eyes for a few seconds as he thinks about what to say to his best friend. Truthfully, he doesn't want anyone to date Veronica ever but he knows that is not realistic. He knows that Logan was caring, protective and faithful with Lilly and that he would be the same with Veronica. It is important to him that Veronica be happy. Coming to a decision, he returns Logan's gaze and says, "Just don't hurt her."

Logan keeping Duncan's gaze says, "I won't.

Logan starts up the next game and they both play horribly as they are engrossed in their thoughts and not concentrating as well as they normally do.

When Logan gets home he sits by the pool and thinks about everything he has learned. His phone buzzes that he has a text; he has set his phone to go to voice mail. Listlessly he opens his phone and sees the text is from Veronica. She tells him that she is going to be a little late for school and will drive herself as she has an errand to run in the morning.

He looks at his phone and doesn't know what to do. His mind is spinning right now with everything he has learned. He knows Veronica is wondering how his talk with Duncan went and Logan has no idea what to say.

He finally texts her back that he is busy right now and will talk to her in the morning. He finishes with a 'be careful' as he thinks about her in her car with Back Up waiting to get a picture.

Veronica texts him back that she will see him tomorrow.

Logan wants her to know he is still her boyfriend but he honestly can't talk to her right now. He settles on texting, 'Tai food for lunch?"

Veronica immediately texts him back, "Hell yes."

He smiles and puts his phone away. He has a lot of thinking to do. The one thought that keeps running through his head is that he is now dating Duncan and Lilly's sister. It's a fucked up world!

The next day at school Logan arrives and goes to his locker. He is tired as he had trouble sleeping after learning the Kanes' dark secrets. When he turns the corner to go up the hall towards his locker he sees Dick and Madison waiting for him. Since he is already tired and upset, he hopes for their sakes, they are not there to talk to him about breaking up with Veronica. When he gets close enough to hear, Dick says, "Already bored with…"

Logan shakes his head at his friend and interrupts, "Be very careful what you say right now Dick."

Dick puts up his hands and backtracks, "Whoa dude, it's a habit."

Logan looks at Dick and Madison and says deliberately and clearly, "I will give anyone who bothers Veronica double what I gave her last year."

He meets both their gazes to let them know he is serious and when he sees they both understand, he turns to his locker to get out his books for this morning. Right now he has bigger things to think about. Duncan has agreed to have lunch with him and Veronica. He thinks that once he and Duncan both make it clear that the vendetta against Veronica is over, the 09ers will fall in line and the message will be sent to the rest of the school that Veronica Mars is protected.

Deep in his thoughts, Logan misses Madison's look of anger. She has been Queen of the 09ers since Lilly died and she is not about to give up her title to anyone. Madison steps closer to Dick for support and speaks up, "Dick and I have always been there for you. We hate her. You can't make us be nice to her."

Logan frowns and looks over at her. He clearly states, "I am not asking you to like her or be friends. I am telling you to leave her alone."

Upset she opens her mouth to talk and Logan interrupts his voice very firm, "I will tell you when to talk Madison. Right now just fucking listen."

He steps closer and asserts, "I don't give a shit if you ever sit at my table, come to another 09er party or even exist."

Madison looks like she has been slapped. When she goes to talk he interrupts and puts up his hand stopping whatever she was going to say. He narrows his gaze at her and says rudely, "Did I say you could talk?"

He looks over at the tall blond by her side and points at him, "You are one of my closest friends and whoever you bring is welcome."

He steps even closer and addresses a stunned Madison, "This is the last time I am going to tell you to leave Veronica alone. If you don't back off even being Dick's girlfriend will not help you." Very firmly he declares, "I can and will ruin you Madison; and I won't even break a sweat."

He steps back to his locker and shuts it easily twirling the lock. His manner and posture make it clear that he is not interested in whatever Madison has to say. Having said his piece, he turns and walks away without looking back.

Dick stands there in shock as Logan walks off. The students nearby instantly begin texting the huge news that Logan told Madison off; of course a few kids even have the video. Madison runs to the nearest washroom upset that her social status is in jeopardy because of Veronica Mars.

Dick is not the brightest guy but even he immediately realizes that Logan just took the power in his relationship away from Madison and gave it to him. If Madison doesn't make him happy, she will be out. He finally understands what Logan meant when he told him that he would make him catnip. This is well worth being nice to Logan's girlfriend; even if she is a total bitch.

Dick smiles a little and thinks that Logan is really a good friend. He walks off to his first period class not even waiting for Madison to get out of the bathroom. She will definitely be looking for him later.

Veronica arrives late to first period and is not surprised to find everyone watching her. She is used to it and of course it has gotten worse since she started dating Logan. A little absently she wonders what the big gossip is about her this morning.

It is not long coming as she receives a text with a video from Meg. The text merely says, "Yr man is scary."

Frowning Veronica plugs her head phones into her phone and watches the video.

Veronica is at her locker at lunch. She has her back to the students in the hallway, ignoring their discussion about how Logan threatened Madison for her. She is really not sure how she feels about Logan's talk with the queen bitch. On one hand, she wanted to run over and kiss Logan for defending her; and on the other hand, she has had enough drama in the last few years to last her for a lifetime. She really doesn't need Logan's help with Madison.

Suddenly she feels two arms snake around her middle and she is hugged from behind. Immediately she stiffens and then relaxes when she hears Logan say, "Hello beautiful," in her ear.

Pouting a little she says, "You scared me."

He laughs and nuzzles her neck from behind. He says, "Mmm, are you ready for lunch?"

Veronica turns and looks up at him. She comments, "You were busy this morning."

Logan looks puzzled and then when Veronica holds up her phone and accesses the video, he waves at the video dismissingly, "Oh that."

He puts his arms on the locker above her head and beside her. Slowly he leans in so his face is very close to hers. "That wasn't for you." He nuzzles her neck and then shares, "Although I want her to leave you alone, I did it as a favor to Dick."

Veronica tilts her neck giving her very hot, very sexy boyfriend better access to her neck as she ponders what he is saying. Focused on his attentions, she manages to murmur, "For Dick?"

Logan explains in between kisses on her neck, "Now Madison has to be Dick's girlfriend to keep her top 09er girl status."

Veronica smirks a little as she thinks about how Madison uses sex to keep Dick in line and now she will have to please him. She frowns a little as she thinks about how Dick only cares about having sex and will use the situation to his advantage. She points out, "That is not really fair."

Logan leans back and looks her in the eyes. He says, "She fools around on him and then holds him to her with occasional bouts of sex or blow jobs. She's a conniving bitch." He pauses and then shrugs, "I just evened the playing field a little."

"I didn't need your help with her," Veronica tells him.

Logan puts his hand on her face tilting it up so she can see his serious expression. He says, "I am not going to tolerate anyone trying to hurt you anymore. There is nothing you can do to change that Veronica."

He puts one hand on her waist and then runs it along her back pulling her closer to his frame as he stands. He brings his other hand down and puts it on her shoulder and then runs it slowly down her back encasing her in his embrace.

He leans down and teases, "Now enough time talking about others. I am holding my new girlfriend in my arms and I haven't seen her all day."

Veronica smiles enticingly, "What would you prefer to be doing instead?"

"Let me show you," he answers as he leans down to kiss her.

When the kiss is over, Logan pulls away slightly and looks down at the petite blond, enjoying her happy and relaxed expression. Their relationship is still so new and every emotion between them seems amplified and exciting. He still looks at her sometimes in wonder. She was a friend, then an enemy, then a friend and now something more.

He murmurs as he reaches up to caress her cheek, "We should head to lunch. I ordered Tai."

Veronica does not look excited about going to the Quad. They both know that today a lot of students will be watching to see what happens in the 09er court. The students will be curious about Madison's status now that Logan has very publicly told her that she is not important.

"Today it is your turn to sit at my table." Veronica reminds Logan.

He brushes his fingers against her cheek and answers slowly, "Not today Ronnie. We have important business at my table."

"I don't care about Madison," she says shaking her head.

Logan looks down at his girlfriend and says dismissively, "Yeah, I don't care about her either." He runs his finger towards her lips and continues quietly, "DK is having lunch with us today."

He feels her stiffen a little and her expression hardens. She deadpans, "Wow, I am so excited."

Logan pauses in his caress and looks at her closely noting her displeasure at the thought of eating with her ex-boyfriend. He leans down to talk in her ear, "I haven't had the chance to talk to you since I talked to DK." He nuzzles behind her ear gently, "He has had a lot to deal with since he broke up with you and Lilly was killed." He pauses and then decides to go on, "Although you are my girlfriend, DK is a friend as well. Whatever he tells me in confidence, I need to respect that."

He leans back and looks at her and is relieved to see her nod. He is unhappy to see her troubled expression. He had not anticipated that she would be reluctant to eat lunch with Duncan. He realizes he probably should have. Sometimes he has to stop and remind himself that just a few short weeks ago he and Veronica were enemies and DK has not spoken to her since he just stopped talking to her last year. He should have realized that a public reconciliation is not the best idea.

He thinks about his options and decides that they may have to brazen things through. He really needs Duncan to give his seal of approval to his relationship with Veronica. If Duncan and Logan both accept Veronica, then the problems will be over. He can protect her on his own but if DK continues to avoid seeing him with Veronica, that would open the door for problems and gossip. Also it is crucial that Duncan get a chance to be friends with Veronica. If he never tells her they might be related, his only way to have a relationship with her is as a friend. Logan understands that Duncan may not want to double date but who knows what the future will hold if he can start to have contact with her again. He does not agree with Duncan's decision not to talk to her but he understands he was going through a lot the last year. However as DK's best friend, he can't let him keep on avoiding her. The way he was going they would graduate and they would go to different colleges in different states. They wouldn't see each other or be a part of each other's lives. This way, he can start a friendship with her and maybe eventually keep in touch and know what is going on in her life and she could be a part of his as well. It is really the best they can hope for right now unless DK decides to tell her the truth someday and then maybe they could try to be siblings. Until then, for both their sakes, Logan is going to encourage a friendship between them.

Veronica a little tentatively puts her hand on Logan's chest like she needs to touch him but is unsure of what he will do. "It's not just Duncan." She gently runs her hand over the soft material of his expensive t-shirt. "Most of the 09ers went out of their way to torment me, call me names, pull pranks."

She stops her part of the discussion and looks at some of the students who are walking by. When she looks at Logan she says, "I'm not built to forgive. That's not me anymore."

Frowning a little at her statement that she has changed, he gently moves a few strands of hair away from her face. He says, "The name calling and pranks were because of me." He bends his head and looks into her eyes and says, "You know I am really sorry and I would take everyone of them back if I could."

"I've had to deal with a lot of…" She stops and then tries again, "Its been months of constant slurs and pranks…" Finally she says, "I can't just sit with them."

Logan is a little alarmed to see her obvious upset. He realizes that he doesn't really understand her feelings about the last year. He is not sure what to say. He assures her, "I won't let anything happen to you."

Angry that he thinks she can't take care of herself, she says, "I don't need your protection." She pulls her hand away.

He reaches over and grabs her hand and reassures, "I know that. I mean that I should have protected you and been there for you after Lilly died." He squeezes her hand and says, "I know it's late but I am here now."

She looks up at him and her eyes are bright. She swallows trying to ease her strong emotions. "We are working through things," she waves between them and adds, "trying to deal with things," she finishes a little vaguely.

He reaches for her and grasps both her shoulders rubbing them soothingly, "Veronica we obviously need to talk about this. I guess I just thought you would let the pranks go. You know, bygones…"

She stiffens and he adds, "They forgive you, you forgive them. You tolerate each other,' he finishes hopefully.

When her eyes flash with anger, Logan realizes he has stepped on another landmine. He backtracks, "Veronica I am so sorry that I didn't talk to you first about this." He leans in and puts his face close to hers and says, "I handled this wrong. I just wanted to make things better between you, me and Duncan." He pauses gathering his thoughts and says, "Look, can you just pretend this is helping me like you helped me with my mother? I really need you to come to lunch and sit with me at my table. Duncan is going to come and sit with us and maybe it's the first step; a small step."

Immediately she sees that she is not going to agree to this lunch even under the guise of helping him. He speaks quickly, "Please let's just get through lunch and then after school or after you work, we can meet and really talk about what you are feeling about this."

Seeing she is still really reluctant, he begs softly, "Please just do this for me. It's important." Running his hand to the back of his head, he scratches his neck. "Veronica, just come to lunch." He adds, "Just today. I promise I will be there for you."

Veronica seeing his earnest expression takes a deep breath in and lets it out on a sigh. She says, "OK."

He leans in and hugs her close holding her to him. He is a little worried at how stiff she is holding herself but he knows that their talk is going to have to wait until later. "Thank you," he whispers. His hand rubs her back gently and he kisses the top of her head as he holds her.

_After school_

Logan walks out the back door of the school towards his Xterra to go home and get ready for surfing. He has not seen Veronica since lunch. He knows she is upset with him. It is clear that he drastically underestimated how much she hates the 09ers. He doesn't understand why she just won't let go of the pranks and name calling; after all, she was a bitch back to them as well. Now it is over; with time they can all be friends again or at least acquaintances. At least that was his thought. Now his relationship with her is in trouble and he has to find out what Veronica is feeling; especially now the first lunch with the former 'It' couple is over.

By the time Logan and Veronica walked onto the Quad, Meg, Dick, Madison, Kim and Casey were sitting at his table. The plan was for the food to arrive and then Duncan to walk out after his meeting with his History professor and just sit down as if the past year never happened.

When they were walking towards the table, Dick took it upon himself to welcome Veronica and Logan is pretty sure that if didn't have Veronica's hand firmly in his, she would have turned and left the Quad. Her body was so tense when Dick spoke that he felt compelled to wrap his arm around her waist to make sure she didn't bolt.

The only saving grace was the food arrived and Meg, feeling the tension, took the bag and handed out the meals. Duncan arrived and sat next to Meg. He said a general hello to the group and thanked Meg when she handed him his meal.

Veronica was sitting stiffly with her head bent. Casey noting Veronica's discomfort, shot Logan a look of question and Logan shrugged back. Deciding to try and make things better for Veronica, Casey leaned in and quietly asked her about how her journalism project was coming along. Fortunately to everyone watching, it looked like things were going well at the prominent 09er table.

The rest of the students in the Quad saw that Veronica was with Logan and that Duncan was accepting their relationship. Logan used to the constant perusal and interest, outwardly joins in the general conversation but inwardly is truly worried that he has damaged his relationship with Veronica. She sat stiffly, mostly looked at her plate as she pushed the food around on it and made very little eye contact with anyone.

Part way through lunch, Meg raised her voice a little and told Veronica that she couldn't meet with her after school like they planned because she forgot her cheerleading practice uniform at home so she had to go and get it. She looked appropriately apologetic about having to bail on her and asked Veronica if she could show her the video she asked to see now instead.

Veronica looked up at Meg and quietly agreed, "Sure that would be good."

Meg excuses herself and stands gathering her purse and the remnants of her meal.

Veronica attempted a smile and reached down and grasped her bag. She looked at Logan and whispered in his ear, "I gotta go."

Logan smiled at her and said, "I'll meet you after school." He is alarmed that she made no actual eye contact with him. Her posture was still very stiff and she ate very little of her lunch.

Veronica merely nodded and gathered up her lunch container and stood up. She said a general goodbye and walked across the Quad with Meg.

Logan watched as she and Meg threw their containers in the trash and walked into the school together. Logan knows a rescue when he sees one. Meg is Veronica's friend and was taking her away from the situation. Logan knows he has made a serious miscalculation about what Veronica feels. Meg obviously understands and felt the need to help her friend out of the situation. Logan doesn't see why sitting there and eating a lunch from a great restaurant is a real problem but there is something he doesn't know or doesn't understand.

She wasn't at her locker before fifth period or after school. He texted and called her after school. Finally she texted him back that she had plans for the evening and would see him tomorrow.

He immediately texted her that he was sorry he upset her and felt they needed to talk.

Her reply was short and final: 'not tonight.'

Now she is not answering his texts or calls. Logan has experience with an upset girlfriend. Lilly made him jump through hoops to keep her happy; she would bitch him out and then walk off. Veronica is quiet; too quiet. She has withdrawn into herself and she is back behind her walls; Logan is back on the outside again.


	6. Chapter 6

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story there is no Wallace although he is one of my favorite characters. Otherwise things are unchanged. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She is there for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan thinks about his relationship with Veronica and when he talks to her about becoming friends again, she gets upset and tells Logan the old Veronica is gone. When he tells her he won't give up, she cries and he holds her. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan spends one day with Veronica and sees that although he knew his anger led to her social isolation, he really didn't understand the full extent of how alone she is. He talks with Duncan and finds out why Duncan broke up with Veronica. Deciding that Duncan needs to publicly support their relationship, Logan arranges without asking Veronica for them to all have lunch together. Veronica is upset and avoids Logan the rest of the day._

It's funny how you can see a view everyday and still not be tired of it. Veronica sits on the steps that lead from the apartment building to the beach, looking out at the beautiful ocean scene. She walks Back Up on this stretch of beach at least once a day. Most times she just walks her rambunctious pet waiting while he runs off his excess energy; perhaps throwing a ball for him to chase. She doesn't even really notice how alive the ocean is with the multitude of birds and marine life it possesses; the ever changing colors of the water and sky that you can see only if you are really looking; or the feeling of being small and insignificant that one can get near the largest ocean in the world. Some days she does take the time to savor the smell of the salty air, the feel of the cool breeze on her face, the sound of the gulls and the water rushing to the shore; and it calms her.

It is the consistency of the ocean that she likes. The waves continue day and night. The wind is always there; sometimes stronger than other times but you can count on feeling the breeze on your face. The gulls are invariably there whether they are flying overhead searching for a meal or resting on the soft sand in small groups. The soft granular sand is ever present beneath your feet as you walk, sit or lay. It is reassuring to the girl whose life has undergone massive changes in the last few years to come to the ocean and see that it is there and will still be there in the future. It gives her perspective.

Today Veronica just sits and thinks about the changes in her life over the past couple of weeks and how she feels about them. She should be happy that the students at Neptune High are easing off the pranks and name calling. It really does make things easier for her. She is trying to enjoy the peace while it lasts. She likes not having to wonder if her locker will be glued shut, remove the names that are written on her locker, fish her clothes out of the toilet after gym class, reinflate the tires on her car after school, worry about finding the money to pay for new tires. Of course she doesn't miss the name calling or being constantly prepared to protect herself from guys who feel they can touch her or ask for a quickie or a blow job.

The thing is, she adjusted to how her life had to be. She got used to being alone and to handling things herself. Now Logan has stepped in and things have changed for her. Although most of the changes are positive, Veronica finds she just can't be grateful that the students who treated her like a bug on the sidewalk now tolerate her because she is dating Logan Echolls. Now when they ask her how she is doing she feels like telling them to go back to ignoring her.

Last year she got the life lesson that most people don't care about her and she can't count on them to be there for her. At first she only had her dad. Then she began to see that there were some that would just stay away from her and ignore her. She was grateful for them as they were a break from being tormented. They stood and watched but did not add to her problems. Then there was a small group that tried to make things better for her. She has been able to talk to Meg once in a while. Corny has been nice to her and there is a girl in the computer club named Mac who she recently has been able to sit with in some of her classes. As she helps other students with their problems, they have stopped saying negative things to her face.

She grew tough. She learned to be a total bitch to some of the more blatant offenders and it sent a message to the student body to back off. As her reputation changed from the incompetent Sheriff's daughter and the girl who was only friends with Lilly for her status to the girl who could and would ruin you, a large portion of the student body just avoided her and ignored her instead of saying rude things to her. As she got stronger, more and more students were afraid and left her alone. When she was weak and scared, she was fair game. Now she is more trouble than she is worth and most students do leave her alone.

Now that Logan has restored her status, she really doesn't want to talk to or deal with the students who treated her badly. She knows that if she and Logan break up, they will follow the leader and go back to mistreating her. She knows their true nature now and doesn't want anything to do with them.

As for the 09ers, she doesn't want to deal with them ever again. They were the worst to her. Now Logan expects her to sit with them and go back to how it was before the torment started. He wants her to sit with them and be friends with them. 'Bygones,' he said. 'Why can't we all just get along?' he asked.

She snorts a little and thinks of how it is just not going to happen. She hates them and they hate her. Logan doesn't care if she ignores the rest of the school, he only cares about how she treats the 09ers. He is crazy if he thinks she will ever go back to being friends with them.

Her mood becomes even darker as she delves into memories that she ruthlessly keeps buried. Her foundation was profoundly shaken the night of Shelly's party. When one of the 09er guys taunts her about her sluttiness, she still wonders if he has seen her naked; if he was the one or one of the guys who raped her. Did he take pictures? Did he give her the Chlamydia? She doesn't open that part of herself up often but when it comes out, the emotions overwhelm her. At first, she just cut her hair and hid behind a tough outer shell. For a long while she was trying to cope; trying to get through each hour and then each day. Now she has gotten stronger. Now she does want answers and she really does want payback.

She can't sit with the 09er guys. She can't look at them because inside she is wondering which one or how many of them raped her. The problem is; how does she explain to Logan what she feels?

There have been times when Logan has been particularly mean to her that she, for a second, wondered if he was one of the guys that raped her. He seemed to hate her so much! Then when she decides he wouldn't, she wonders if he knows who did. Did he laugh with the guys about it? Did he bump fists or high five them when he found out? The Logan she knew before Lilly died would never have wanted her to be physically hurt. Truthfully there is a small part of her that is not completely, 100% sure of the Logan that she had to deal with after her father lost his job. That small part, no matter how tiny is the reason they should not be dating.

That is the real crux of the issue. She should not be dating Logan. She doesn't trust him anymore. That fact alone will ultimately doom their relationship to failure.

The problem is she really feels something for him. It would be better if they were just friends again. They could see each other once in a while, talk at school and as time went on they could see if their relationship was reparable. They could become friends again slowly.

Instead they had jumped into dating. At times the thought of Logan as her boyfriend freaked her out. In the back of her mind, he is Lilly's boyfriend still; even though he has dated lots of other girls since Lilly died. He is also her ex boyfriend's best friend. She has been thinking a lot about that time before Lilly died and she wonders if she and Logan were ever really friends. She was friends with Lilly and he was friends with Duncan but were there friends with each other? Is she thinking about them with rose colored glasses? Could a true friend treat her like Logan has treated her the past year? The fact is, she hated him as well. He was such an ass to her and he knew enough about her to be truly hurtful and he didn't hesitate to use any of his knowledge against her. She hated him for that.

It is really one of life's little ironies that she should be so attracted to Logan and she has to admit that she is very attracted to him. She remembers how much she liked him when she first met him. Even then he was very tall for his age, handsome with those beautiful brown eyes and his smile made his whole face light up. She wonders what would have happened if they dated instead of each of them dating a Kane. Even though she has known Logan for years, she had never really kissed him before. She had to admit that their first kiss was something she would never forget. Even though they were in public, her body reacted from her head to her toes. In romance novels you read where the girl quits thinking and everything becomes hazy. Well it was very much like that when Logan was kissing her. Now she is wondering if she is just reacting that way because she is a healthy teenaged girl who has needs. She has been very lonely this past year.

Of course Logan is very experienced with girls and from what she has heard he has made a lot of other girls swoon so perhaps what she feels is just a normal reaction. Of course deep inside, there is a small part of her that still believes in true romance and that part is telling her that the kiss between them was special and shows that they belong together. That tiny part of her is screaming that she would be foolish not to explore those feelings.

Her mind is racing and truly she feels overwhelmed by the changes in her life right now. She keeps coming back to her new relationship with Logan. She doesn't even know what to think about Logan's kisses and touches. It has been so long since she dated anyone, kissed anyone or even touched anyone. Maybe part of what she feels for Logan is just the loneliness. Maybe part of it is trying to reclaim the past. Deep inside, she knows that it is as simple as the fact that she has always felt something for Logan. Whatever the reason, she can't deny that already she has strong feelings for him.

She hears footfalls on the stairs and moves over so the person can pass her easily on the way down to the beach. When the person coming down the stairs reaches the set of stairs she is sitting on, he or she stops.

Veronica half turns and looks up to see why the person stopped and immediately sees it is Logan looking down at her. Of course he wouldn't listen to her text that she doesn't want to talk to him tonight. Of course he would find her by the beach.

Sighing in resignation, she turns and looks back at the ocean. Part of her wants to tell him to leave, respect her wishes and give her some space. She hates having so many emotions and feeling out of control. She needs to think and make sense of what is going on in her life. Another part of her wants to lean into him and just have him hold her, kiss her and make her forget everything for a few minutes.

Logan knows that Veronica has asked for time but he can't give it to her right now. They have already had time apart. The thing they haven't had is time together to develop their relationship and work out all the issues between them.

He has been around superficial his whole life and has rarely had real friendship or real love. He just knows that he has the potential to have a true relationship or love with Veronica.

He is not going to let the walls between them stand. It will take time and effort but he is determined to get them to a place where they can be together as a couple. Although he is a young man who has seemingly had everything handed to him, Logan is intelligent and can be very directed. Once he found he liked surfing, he actually put in a lot of effort to become a good surfer. He has a long way to go but he has made a lot of progress. He is smart enough to see that a relationship with Veronica would be difficult but the rewards could be more than he ever imagined. The way she supported him during his mother's funeral, the way she was by his side when he had to face all the students back at Neptune and the way she sees his father as a shallow, womanizer and a poor father when everyone else worships at his alter has reminded Logan about what he always admired and liked about Veronica. A gambler by nature, Logan is determined to set himself up for the big payoff. For him the goal is not money or sex; it is love. He believes he can really love Veronica and in turn, be truly loved by her. He is definitely not going to let that go without a real fight.

So knowing that Veronica is upset with him, knowing that she has plenty of reasons to be angry and protective and knowing that he has caused her a lot of pain in the past year, Logan walks down the stairs and sits beside her.

He doesn't sit touching her but he doesn't sit across the stairs. He is close enough to touch her and yet far enough to give her a little space.

Easily he reaches into his coat pocket and brings out a bag of chocolate covered nuts. He remembered they are a favorite of hers from their trips to the boardwalk when they were younger, so he stopped and picked up a pound. Back then he thought it was odd that Veronica liked the combination of sweet and salty, but now he can really see that it is the perfect treat for her. She is definitely a combination type girl now.

He methodically undoes the twist tie and opens the bag. He sees her look over and then shake her head as she sees he has brought one of her favorite treats.

Veronica thinks that it is going to be hard to deal with Logan. He has some advantages because he knows her so well. She gives in and smiles a little at him, "You remembered."

He nods slightly and meets her gaze telling her, "I can be very stupid, but I tried to remember what made you and Lilly happy."

"That was more self-preservation with Lilly," Veronica comments. She reaches her hand out and says, "Pass them over."

Logan smiles at her and hands her the bag. He watches as she reaches in and picks an almond out to eat. After putting it in her mouth and savoring the flavor of the dark chocolate and the salty nut, she holds the bag out to Logan and says, "They are good."

He reaches in and takes a couple of the covered cashews and then leans back and looks at the ocean as he eats them. They both eat in silence for a few minutes and then Logan starts, "Veronica, we have a lot to talk about but I want to ask you to not run from me and shut me out."

He turns to face her and reaches out grasping her shoulder and turning her to face him. He explains, "I am committed to us. I want to be a real couple. I want to be there for you and have you there for me. I want to be with you but we can't if you don't give us the chance to work out all our issues."

He reaches his hand off her shoulder and gently moves the hair away from her face and tucks it behind her ear. While he looks at her, waiting for her to answer, he runs his hand to the back of her head and gently caresses her neck.

"I am not even sure what I think or feel about everything. How can I talk to you about it when I don't know what to say?" she asks him.

He leans in and takes the bag of candy from her. He puts it on the stair above them and then pulls her into his arms. Putting his forehead to hers, he says, "I can respect that you have a lot to think about." They are breathing the same air and Veronica feels so close to him, so protected, so cared for.

He takes a deep breath and then says, "You have to know that dating me is going to be a trial. I can be a jackass and I will do stupid things. If we can't talk things out the day one or both of us is angry, we still have to meet. I need to hold you, show you that although I make mistakes, I do care about you."

Leaning in, he gently kisses her and then leans away a few inches. Caressing her face, he looks at her.

Veronica is overwhelmed by his closeness. He is warm and his touch is gentle. She feels so relaxed and safe in his embrace. His lips are warm and the expression on his face is soft and caring. She is affected by the emotions she can see in his gaze. From experience she knows he is a master at hiding his emotions but right now he is open to her. He really does want their relationship to work and he really wants to show her he cares.

Softly he asks, "Can we agree to do that Veronica? Can we agree to meet and just be together even when one or both of us are mad and we can't talk it out?"

Taking her face in his hands he says, "We have been apart and angry too long. I have hurt you too much." Meeting her gaze he begs "Can we please limit the anger and negativeness? Can we please still show we care even when we are upset?"

She nods and lifts her face for his kiss and leans up to deepen the kiss when their lips touch. Her arms go around his neck and the couple pulls each other closer; feeling the emotions between them.

Keeping her close after the kiss ends, Logan lets his breathing and heart rate slow back to normal. He says, "I love to kiss you."

She stays close in his arms and savors the warmth and smell of him. Logan holds Veronica close to him and he is again reminded of how perfectly she fits in his arms. She is so small that he head fits under his chin and his arms wrap all the way around her.

After a few minutes Logan pulls a little away and says, "Can we at least talk about why you were upset at lunch?"

His new girlfriend looks up at him and then down at his chest. She gently puts her hand on his arm and caresses the warm skin.

Logan waits patiently. "I was one of you," her voice is soft and sad; "I mean one of the 09ers when I was Lilly's best friend and dating Duncan." She pauses gathering her thoughts and then to Logan's relief continues, "I thought they were my friends. I cared about them. I was there for a lot of them. I spent a lot of time with them." She pauses and her voice gets husky. "I could maybe understand them not talking to me or kicking me out of the group like they did to Kenny or Abigail."

Logan remembers how Lilly had Abigail and Kenny ostracized in grade 8. He doesn't remember why but the 09ers just quit speaking to them.

Veronica carries on, "I could have handled that. I mean just being ignored or not existing."

She pulls away and huddles against the railing on the stairs wrapping her arms around her body. She bends her head down and her hair falls over her face obscuring Logan's view. He can see her pain and her withdrawal from her body language.

She says her voice rough with emotion, "Most of the school did just ignore me. I didn't like it but I coped with it."

Almost unconsciously she turns from Logan and faces towards the ocean. She looks so tiny sitting there with her arms wrapped around her body and her legs curled into her torso. She continues after another long pause, "The students who weren't my friends but went after me to get in with the 09ers are on my list. They were trying to use me to better themselves and I want to make them pay."

She very briefly looks at Logan and sees he is listening closely to her. She adds, "Luckily for them there are too many of them for me to target. I am just one person."

Unable to take her obvious pain, Logan reaches over and puts his hand on her back gently rubbing up and down her spine; his touch soothing and supportive.

Veronica turns a little back towards him but stays wrapped up in her protective ball. "Some of the 09ers did just ignore me but some of them did more," she tells Logan her voice quiet but he can hear the anguish and feel how stiff she is holding herself.

"The ones who did more, I don't really want to forgive. Some of them were supposed to be my friends and they deliberately did things to hurt me." Finally the dam bursts and her words start to come faster and with more emotions behind them. "I don't want to be around them. I don't want to even be near them. They are only stopping the hurtful things they did because you said to. If you hadn't stopped it, they would still be doing hurtful things today. I can't see sitting with them at lunch. It's too phony. I just can't do it Logan."

He pulls her into his arms to comfort her. It is really difficult to see her in so much pain. At first she is a little stiff but then she relaxes into his warmth and wraps her tiny arms around him holding him to her. Her face is pressed against his soft shirt and she can hear his heart beating and feel his even respirations as she rests there. She feels safe and it is really nice to have someone hold her and make her feel safe. She has handled things alone for a long time. She knows she has a lot of unresolved feelings towards this boy who is holding her so tightly against him. He is protecting her and worried about her now but a few weeks ago he was one of the worst to her.

She understands that they will have to deal with her issues with him but right now it feels good to talk to him about her feelings towards the 09ers and have him there to talk to. She needs that. She has been alone and hurt so long; she needs someone to care that isn't her father. Logan was one of her closest friends and she has really missed him. He understands her better than everyone except for maybe Duncan. She doesn't fully trust Logan but it feels really good to have this connection with him. Right now that is enough.

After a long pause where both teenagers are thinking, Logan speaks up, "So you have put people in different categories of enemy. Category One is people who weren't your friends but after I started the vendetta against you, they just ignored you and refused to partner with you or talk to you."

He continues, "Category Two is people who you didn't know and weren't friends with that harassed you to possibly improve their standing with the 09ers."

He rubs her back and nuzzles his face in her neck briefly. "Category Three are 09er friends who just ignored you."

Veronica nods and says, "They showed they aren't really my friends. I can't just go back. They have proved that they would turn on me if the hierarchy tells them to. They are nothing but acquaintances to me now."

"So Category Four is the 09ers who used to be your friends but followed my lead and went out to hurt you?" Logan asks.

Veronica sighs and says, "Yes, they could have just ignored me but they put a lot of effort into verbally abusing me or pranking me. I have been targeting them back."

Logan nods in understanding. He pulls back and says, "So I am in Category Four?"

After a short pause, Veronica shakes her head. Logan immediately sees that he has his own category. His voice a little wooden, he clarifies, "I am in Category Five?"

She bites her lip and says, "Yes. You were one of my best friends and you turned against me." She adds, "You and Duncan."

Logan is surprised that she sees Duncan as a villain as well. He says, "Even though I actively went after you and Duncan just watched?"

She nods and clarifies, her voice small and unsure, "He was supposed to love me."

Deeply disturbed to hear her verbalize how much he and Duncan hurt her, he quips, "It's good to be at the top."

She breaks their gaze and looks at his chest and says, "You aren't at the top."

Stunned and alarmed he asks harshly, "What?"

She wrenches out of his arms and stands. She says, "Share time is over."

She walks down the stairs leaving him there. He jumps up and chases her catching her at the bottom of the stairs.

He grasps her arm stopping her from walking away and says, "Veronica, what do you mean? Did someone hurt you…"

He stops when he sees the anger in her gaze. She says, "I am done talking Logan. You can't make me talk when I don't want to."

She adds, "I thought we were just going to deal with my sitting at your table at lunch. If you can't keep with our bargain, then maybe this isn't going to work out." She waves her hand between them.

"Okay, Okay," he placates. He can see she has been pushed too far and too fast. His voice soothing, he says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I am not used to waiting for things, you know how spoiled I am.'

She remains stiff and obviously upset but appears to calm somewhat at his tone. He approaches her like he would a wild animal.

He walks slowly up to her and gently puts his hand on her shoulder. He says softly, "The school went after you because of me. They probably wouldn't have bothered you if I hadn't reacted so badly."

Veronica continues to look down and doesn't answer.

He continues, "I am to blame."

After a few seconds, Veronica shakes her head and says, "I can tolerate the students who ignored me. However , the ones who called me names and pulled pranks; they chose to say what they said and do what they did. I am not going to let that go."

Logan frowns seeing she is still in payback mode. He says, "Why are you letting it go with me?"

Veronica pulls her arm away from Logan's touch and says, "Can we please talk about this another time?"

He immediately sees that she hasn't truly forgiven him and he can't really blame her. He says, "Sure. I guess it is too much to discuss everything in one sitting."

Looking down at her he says, "Eventually we will talk out all our issues but you're right, today we can just deal with the problem with you being back with the 09ers."

He would really like to talk more about their relationship now but he elects to get back to the problem at hand. He ponders what they can do. Finally he confides, "I guess I think of the other students at the school differently than you do."

He takes her hand and leads her back to the stairs. When they arrive at the step they were initially resting on, he pulls her down to sit with him. Instead of letting go when she sits beside him, he holds her hand as he talks about how he knows the 09ers are not his real friends. He points out that if his father lost his money or social status, they would drop him in a minute. He shares how he can't open up to any of them because he doesn't trust them not to gossip or sell the information. Musing, he tells her that is why he thinks he was so attached to the Fab 4. He knows that they saw him, got him and didn't care about his social status. Looking at Veronica, he sees that she does understand what he is discussing with her.

He sits looking down at their joined hands as he talks about his feelings. Veronica listens and can partially see what he is saying and agrees with some of his points.

Finally he looks at her and comments, "Really how many high school friends do you keep after you go to college or work?"

Veronica frowns in thought as she processes what Logan is telling her. She thinks about how her father doesn't see his friends from high school or even the police academy. Really her mother's so called friends from high school dumped her when her father was recalled.

She sees Logan is waiting for an answer so she admits, "Only a few."

Waving his free hand as he talks he tells her, "That is why I am unconcerned about what my fellow classmates think about me or even say about me. I know they don't even really care about me and I won't see them when I leave Neptune."

Reaching over he takes her other hand so he is holding both her hands in his. "Even if Lilly didn't die and you were still a 09er, most of them wouldn't really be your true friends anyways." .

He can tell Veronica is thinking about what he is saying. She agrees, "You are probably right."

"That is why I thought you could sit with them. It's all phony anyways," he explains. "You are going to go onto college, probably not see or hear about them ever again unless you attend the reunions."

He lets go of her right hand and gently rubs the back of her left hand that is still resting in his hand. "You will probably care what happens to Meg and Duncan but most of the others don't matter."

Veronica thinks about what he is telling her and can really see why he thought she wouldn't care about sitting with the 09ers; why she should just forgive and forget, let bygones be bygones.

She has to admit that she didn't see his side at all until she talked to him. She just thought he was minimizing what she was feeling when he didn't see the point of being upset with people who turned against her last year.

She turns her hand in his pressing their palms together and interlocking their fingers. "I didn't understand why you wanted me to sit with them when you knew they had hurt me."

He gently squeezes her fingers and concedes, "I didn't understand how upset you were and how you felt. I really didn't mean to minimize your feelings." Their gazes meet and both feel the acceptance and the closeness between them. Teasing he says, "See why we need to talk?"

She smiles and moves the hair away from her face admitting, "OK, you were right."

Teasingly, he pulls out his phone and pretends to access the video function, "Will you please say that again?"

She punches his arm and then leans in for a hug. He is relieved that they were able to get through their first real disagreement since they started dating.

She offers, "OK, twice a week at your table, twice a week at mine and once a week I will go to Chess Club."

He immediately agrees, "Deal." He pulls back a little and leans down to kiss her forehead.

For a few minutes, he holds her to him with one hand in her hair and one hand around her back. Veronica is very contended to just sit leaning on Logan enjoying his warmth, smell and the feel of his arms around her.

When he finally pulls back, he whispers "Thank you for listening and not hitting me when I walked down the stairs."

She leans up giving him a quick kiss and answers, "Thank you for ignoring me and making me talk to you.'

He returns her kiss and offers, "I'll pick you up for school tomorrow."

She picks up her bag of chocolates and stands agreeing, "I would like that."

They walk holding hands up the stairs to the door of her apartment. When they arrive, he pulls her into his arms and just looks down at her. She looks back at him and purses her lips for his kiss. He smiles and leans down putting his lips over hers.

Veronica wraps her arms around his neck returning his kiss eagerly. They are both breathing a little heavily when the kiss ends. Happily Veronica tells Logan, "Tomorrow I have a surprise for you."

"Surprise?' he repeats. "I like the sound of that."

Veronica smiles mysteriously and tells him noncommittally, "We'll see." She kisses him gently and leaves him entering the apartment.


	7. Chapter 7

_So Far: Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, needs Veronica to help him get through the day. She is there for him even though they are no longer friends. Afterwards Logan realizes that Veronica was one of his true friends and he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. Looking at her as they sat together watching the ocean after his mother's funeral, Logan thought Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan thinks about his relationship with Veronica and when he talks to her about becoming friends again, she gets upset and tells Logan the old Veronica is gone. When he tells her he won't give up, she cries and he holds her. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan spends one day with Veronica and sees that although he knew his anger led to her social isolation, he really didn't understand the full extent of how alone she is. He talks with Duncan and finds out why Duncan broke up with Veronica. Deciding that Duncan needs to publicly support their relationship, Logan arranges without asking Veronica for them to all have lunch together. Veronica is upset and avoids Logan the rest of the day. Logan finds Veronica that evening and they have their first real talk. Both realize they have a long way to go but both feel good the small step they took together._

The next day when Logan picks up Veronica she is wearing a short black skirt with a pink top and pink knee socks. Logan feels his body respond when she walks towards him. It figures she would know about his knee sock fetish. Shaking his head a little at her, he says, "Lilly told you."

Veronica smiles and answers, "Yes, but you know Lilly; she never said why." She tilts her head at him in question.

Logan pulls her into his body and leans down and kisses her. He turns her and presses her into the side of his car and kisses her until she is breathless. He buries his head in her neck and whispers hoarsely, "Jesus Veronica."

Veronica says a little unsteadily, "This is definitely going to need some explanation."

Logan takes a few deep breaths and agrees, "On the way to school." He opens the door for her and closes his eyes as she gets in carefully with her short skirt. He shuts the door and goes around to get in his side of the car.

As they drive he tells her about the first time he saw her and how he thought she was so hot. Veronica blushes and smiles at the story. When he tells her that it has been a fantasy of his since that time, Veronica is flabbergasted. She had no idea that Logan had thought of her like that since way back then. She questions, "Since Lilly never wore them, am I to assume they are a fantasy for just me?"

Logan looks at her, his gaze dark and nods. Veronica is enough of a girl that she finds his gaze exciting and his desire for her thrilling. He can see she is processing what he is telling her. Finally she smiles a predatory smile and asks, "If I promise you to wear these socks again when we are alone, will you let me have a little fun with the 09er girls today?"

Logan easily interprets her look and is just a little worried, "Why are the hairs on the back of my neck standing up?"

Veronica looks knowingly at Logan and says innocently, "I'm just going to perform a little experiment."

Not fooled, Logan questions, "What kind of experiment?"

The petit blond smirks and turns towards her new boyfriend, "I'll tell you later. Right now you need to pull over and park."

Mystified, Logan looks at Veronica and sees she is serious. He pulls over towards the beach and parks. He barely puts his vehicle in park when to his surprise and pleasure, Veronica climbs over the console and sits on his lap. Logan looks at her in question.

"We need to barely make it to school on time this morning so we have fifteen minutes to waste." Leaning down, she places some slow, teasing kisses by his ear towards his cheek adding, "We could watch the waves or…"

Logan turns his face and puts his lips to hers. He puts a hand up behind her head and pulls her head closer to deepen the kiss. His other hand slides up her outer thigh under her skirt where he caresses her soft skin.

Logan and Veronica arrive at school and both barely get to class in time. Veronica looks a little flustered without her usual amount of lip gloss. Logan can't understand why Veronica wanted to come to school looking like she had just made out with him but he didn't feel like looking a gift horse in the mouth.

Meg, who sits beside Veronica, notices her tussled state. After first period Meg walks Veronica to the bathroom and waits while she fixes her make up. Curious she asks Veronica about why she was almost late.

Looking around to make sure they are not overheard, Veronica quietly tells Meg that Logan went crazy over her knee socks.

Surprised and a little scandalized, Meg whispers, "Really?"

Veronica nods and applies a coat of lip gloss. "I'm not wearing them to school anymore. I'll be late everyday if I do," she tells her friend as she puts the lip gloss canister back in her bag. She and Meg leave the bathroom together.

When they are part way down the hall, Veronica smirks and to the taller blonds' surprise, gives her a quick hug. Leaning in, she tells Meg that Logan does not in fact like knee socks but Madison and Susan were in the bathroom listening so she wanted to fool with them.

Meg looks at Veronica in shock for a moment and as the implications of Veronica's plan hit her, she smiles. Although Meg is a 09er, a lot of the 09er girls are bitches to her as well.

Seeing that Meg understands and approves of her plan, Veronica smiles happily back and then, with a wave, splits away from her friend heading towards her second period class. Her trip to the bathroom made her miss seeing Logan in the hallway.

Veronica was not in journalism as she was taking pictures of a few of the teachers who are nominated for district awards. After journalism, she is putting her morning books in her locker when she feels Logan's very male and very strong arms slide around her from behind. He kisses her neck from behind and nuzzles behind her ear. His voice deliciously husky, he murmurs, "Ronnie you are driving me crazy with that outfit."

Veronica turns in Logan's arms to face him. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Madison, Susan and Kim walking with Dick and Cassidy towards them. She looks up at Logan and challenges quietly, "Show me."

The 09ers walking towards the couple notice that Logan grabs his girlfriend and pushes her back with a hard kiss. Madison and Susan look at each other in shock.

When the kiss is over, Veronica looks up at him and smiles slowly. Really pleased, she declares, "That was almost perfect!"

Affronted Logan returns, "Almost?"

Madison looks back and sees Logan pull Veronica close and kiss her again. She shakes her head in wonder. If knee socks make Veronica that attractive to Logan imagine what they would do for her?

Logan pulls away from Veronica when he feels her giggling. He looks down at her in question.

She opens her eyes and looks at him, her expression open and happy. "Logan you have really made my day."

He looks puzzled at her and comments, "You know I hear that all the time."

Veronica laughs up at him and leans over to shut her locker. Upbeat, she teases, "I know you won't hear me say this very often, but let's hurry to lunch."

Logan grasps her arm and stops her from pulling him towards the Quad. He looks at her in question.

Returning his look, she lifts her brow in silent challenge, "Tomorrow it will all be clear. Until then, take me to lunch or lose me forever."

Although pleased at her bubbly manner, Logan immediately sees that she is not going to explain herself today. He doubts he will ever fully understand her. She is obviously in a really good mood today. Logan decides he can wait until tomorrow to find out what is making her so happy. He agrees, "Let's go then." He adds as he they walk towards the Quad together, "I ordered from Victor's Deli."

He has to smile at how excited she is getting he ordered from Victor's; it was a favorite place of the Fab 4. Lilly always had a salad with dill pickles added while Veronica ate a massive turkey sandwich with fries, Cole slaw and one of Victor's famous brownies.

She leans into him and briefly puts her head on his shoulder as she questions, "How did you know I was craving Victor's?"

He opens the door for her and then as they walk together onto the quad, he teases, "Is it really a Victor's craving or a chocolate fix?"

Shrugging she admits, "Potato, tomato."

Smiling at her he comments, "I think you should let me know a few days before your period so I can double the order."

Her mouth drops open in surprise and Logan, truly amused he surprised her, laughs hard.

When they arrive at Veronica's table, Logan confidently sits and ensures that Veronica sits right beside him. He ignores the looks from the students around the Quad. Veronica can see that Logan had already warned Dick and his other 09er guy friends where he would be sitting.

Logan doesn't care what his 09er friends think of him sitting with Veronica. He thinks the compromise they made on sitting at each other's tables equally is fair. Truthfully, he is happy to be sitting alone with her; getting to talk to her without interruption is always fine with him.

Logan looks at his girlfriend and teases, "Do you think that I didn't notice how much Lilly ate just before her period?"

Veronica looks up at Logan a little amazed and, although she won't admit it, impressed. Logan really did try and please Lilly. Now that she thinks about it, Logan did bring Lilly ice cream and treats at certain times.

Seeing she is thinking about what he said, Logan leans in and shares, "Lilly was very amorous just before her period. Trina became a total bitch before hers."

He nuzzles behind her ear and whispers, "Now I am wondering if I will need to schedule surfing trips before your time of month or take extra vitamins."

Veronica's mouth drops open again and she flounders for a few seconds alternating between being uncomfortable with the topic and astonished at Logan's comfort with talking about women's cycles.

Logan smirks as he correctly reads the expression on her face. He points to himself and says, "Renaissance man."

Veronica can't help it, she giggles. Logan always keeps her on her toes and he really doesn't have a filter sometimes.

Logan, seeing that his food has arrived, raises his hand and pulls out his wallet for the tip. Veronica opens the bag and puts Logan's meal in front of him and then hers in front of her. She takes out the waters he ordered and folds the bag up putting it out of the way. When Logan turns to look at his meal she sweetly says, "Thanks for spoiling me."

He smiles easily at her and says, "No problem."

They both dig in ignoring the looks they are getting. Veronica savors her sandwich and after swallowing a bite comments, "I haven't had a Victor's sandwich since…" She changes tactics and finishes, "in a long time."

Logan immediately knows that she hasn't been back there since Lilly died and he says, "Me either." He takes a bite and, after he swallows, tells her, "I have missed them though."

Veronica smiles at him in agreement. It is a really good feeling for both teenagers to be able to talk about Lilly and that time in their lives with someone who really understands.

Interestingly both teenagers have learned to compartmentalize their lives and take their enjoyment where they can; both understanding that the pendulum can swing quickly to the negative side. So they relax, happy in the warm sunshine, and enjoy the company of the other.

Looking down at her, he shares, "You know I think our agreement to equally share lunchtime between our tables is going to work out well." He leans in a little and says meaningfully, "It is nice to just be alone with you for lunch."

Smiling back a little bashfully, she agrees, "It really is."

Focused on each other, Logan and Veronica ignore the gossip that surrounds them. It is telling to the other students that Logan would leave the 09er section and sit alone with Veronica. It is obviously an agreement between them and it shows that the relationship is important to the spoiled king of the 09ers.

Logan and Veronica talk about their plans for the week. Veronica is surprised to find out that Logan's father is making him go to counseling. Logan frowns as he thinks about having to go but it was not presented to him as optional. He has his first session after school today and it is really apparent he is unhappy about having to go.

Veronica frowns at the thought of his being made to go and says, "Who was the force behind your father deciding you should get counseling?"

Logan's frown turns into a little smirk at her understanding that since his father never thought of anyone but himself, someone else put the delightful thought in his head that a good father would send Logan to counseling.

"Guess," he instructs her.

She thinks for a few seconds and then ventures, "I would have to say it was his agent." She looks at Logan and sees she is right. She sighs and says, "I imagine there is a lot of damage control going on right now."

Logan nods and says derisively, "Yeah that is why Dad is retiring to spend time with his family because family is so important to him right now."

Veronica shakes her head and asks, "What word did we decide on for how he is acting?"

He smiles as he thinks about how they had both come up with some words to describe his father's newfound passion for 'finding himself'.

He shakes his head and says, "I think we have wasted enough time talking about my father. I am alone with my new girlfriend. I think I should spend this time more constructively."

"Oh?" she teases, "Are we going to play twenty questions to get to know each other better?"

He snorts and says, "Yeah if we were twelve and I was a dork."

Veronica laughs as she opens up the plastic container that is holding her brownie, "Well we are not twelve."

Logan makes a face at her shot that he is a dork. He takes the fork and reaches over and cuts a piece of her brownie lifting it towards his mouth. When she pouts he turns it towards her and then says "Psych," as he pulls the fork back and puts it in his mouth.

Her eyes twinkle at his exaggerated enjoyment of the brownie as she reaches over and takes the fork back. As she gets a bite of the brownie for herself, Logan leans in and gently nuzzles behind her ear. Sitting in his loose embrace, Veronica turns a little almost facing him. Their gazes meet and the mood between them becomes more romantic.

Logan whispers, "Private showing of those socks later tonight?"

Shaking her head Veronica looks at Logan and answers, "Oh no! These socks will be saved for a very special private performance."

Logan's eyes darken as he looks down at her. He leans in and kisses her gently, "When you are ready, I'm going to make it good for you."

Veronica's gaze gets caught by Logan's. She bites her bottom lip and says, "I know."

Touched at her trust, he puts his forehead to hers. They gaze at each other for a few seconds and then Logan puts his hand behind her head pulling her into a kiss.

He keeps the kiss meaningful but toned down because of how public it is in the Quad.

The bell rings and Logan breaks the kiss and helps Veronica stand. She packs up her brownie for later.

Dick, Madison and Cassidy arrive at their table. Dick asks Logan about surfing after school but Logan shakes his head saying, "Sorry, I've got plans."

He doesn't look at Veronica but Dick, assuming Logan's plans are with her, says meaningfully, "Oh, gotcha!"

Logan realizing that the 09ers think his plans after school are with Veronica and that they are alone type plans, Logan opens his mouth to explain what he has to do. Veronica, however, squeezes his hand and tilts her head at her boyfriend asking cutely, "Walk me to my locker?"

Logan agrees and says goodbye to his friends. When Logan and Veronica are alone, he looks at her in question, "You know they are thinking we have intimate type plans. Why would you let them think my plans after school are with you?"

After putting her brownie in her bag, Veronica looks up at Logan and shrugs, "No matter what we say, they will think what they want. I really don't care. Just keep your family stuff private."

Logan looks at her and feels the emotions rise in his chest for her. He has never had someone who takes care of him before. He slides his hand up into the back of her hair and tilts her head up. He leans down and kisses her forehead. Meeting her gaze he lets her see his gratitude, "Thanks Ronnie."

She smiles gently at him lightening the mood, "You are welcome but know that I will be thinking of payment for later."

"You have to be you," he agrees as he puts his arm around her shoulder walking with her to her locker.

_Later that Evening_

When Logan gets back to his room after his counseling session and a grueling dinner with his father and sister, he feels ready to punch something. He is surprised to get a call from Casey inviting him over to work out with his personal trainer. Logan goes over and finds that they are getting a kick boxing lesson. Casey, upset at his parent's behavior and the pressure of running the business his grandmother left him while trying to graduate from high school, is almost ferocious in his kicks and punches at the pads Logan holds. Logan can see the same frustration and anger in his friend and he also lets loose in the workout. Both boys tired after the session sit in the hot tub relaxing in the cool night air.

While they are looking at the perfectly manicured yard and clear sky with its multitude of stars, a delivery guy beeps security to be let in. Casey after finding out that Veronica Mars sent him, lets him in. Logan hearing the exchange looks at Casey in question. Casey gets out of the hot tub and goes over to lounger to get his wallet. He looks at Logan and explains that when he was in the Moon Calf Collective he confided in Veronica how angry he was with his parents and how much stress he felt with his grandmother teaching him the business. He adds, "She hooked me up with this guy who runs the YMCA gym and since them I meet with him twice a week for these stress buster episodes."

Logan shakes his head at how Veronica looks after her friends. Casey meets Logan's gaze and says, "Veronica texted me that tonight you might need a session as well."

When Logan begins to look upset Casey adds, "She didn't say why."

Logan relaxes back watching as Casey takes the delivery bag and discovers that Veronica paid the delivery and the tip. Casey adds a twenty to the tip and the guy leaves happy.

He is so overwhelmed at how thoroughly Veronica is looking out for him. She let the 09ers think he was spending his after school time with her and then knowing he would be upset after his mandated and very unwelcome counseling session and then his dinner with his father and Trina, she arranged for him to have a workout with Casey. Now she is feeding him knowing he probably didn't eat much supper and has now worked up an appetite.

Casey looks in the bag and says, "It is breadsticks and fold over pizza from Chou's."

Eagerly getting out of the tub Logan says, "I'm starved."

Nodding Casey agrees, "Yeah, I think we worked up an appetite."

While they are eating, the two 09ers reconnect a little. Casey a year older has always been on the periphery of the 09er group. He has been busy learning the publishing business and getting high grades. Logan of course was a member of the Fab 4 and didn't have much to do with anyone else. However they both love surfing and, of course, party together.

Casey's phone rings multiple times during their meal and when he doesn't answer, Logan looks at him questioningly. Sighing Casey says, "I am so busy and most girls I date don't understand that sometimes I just need some 'me' time."

Nodding his understanding, Logan shares, "I know what you mean." He adds, "Girlfriends can get clingy."

Deciding to prod Logan a little, Casey observes, "I notice your new girlfriend is not calling you."

"No," agrees Logan, "She is so busy that getting time with her is the problem."

Nodding his understanding, Casey looks at Logan and says, "She is scary smart and scary driven." He shakes his head and talks about how amazed he is she is always prepared at school and half the time she sleeps in class. He tells Logan that he has heard that Veronica has taken on a lot of cases from kids at school and is always working the angles. "I bet that she did a favor for someone at Chao's Pizza and collected by sending us this late dinner."

Smiling at little at Casey's assessment of Veronica, he says, "Lilly was a master manipulator and at first I thought Veronica learned from her." He pauses and adds, "Now I think that there was a side to Veronica that she only showed Lilly."

He looks out over the pristine blue of the pool and continues, "Lilly always told me that Veronica was not the pink sweet girl I thought she was; she was apparently red satin." Logan makes the finger quotes around the red satin part of the statement.

Casey is amazed that Logan is mentioning Lilly. He can see that being with Veronica has been really good for Logan. He is less angry and he is dealing more with Lilly's death around her best friend. Casey had been at Logan's mother's funeral and he could see that Logan had really needed Veronica. He, along with the other 09ers and students at Neptune, was shocked that Logan had gone and gotten Veronica to sit with him. They seemed to be mortal enemies but it was obvious that Lynn Echolls' suicide had changed things drastically between Logan and Veronica.

Thinking about what Lilly said about Veronica, Casey admits, "Well obviously Lilly was right about Veronica although I have to admit, I never really looked at Veronica. I noticed Lilly but I didn't really know Veronica."

Logan nods his understanding. Casey continues, "I got to know her when she infiltrated the Collective. She impressed me with her PI skills and I saw the power of her close up."

Logan thinks about how Casey worded his assessment of Veronica. He thinks that the power of her is really an apt description. She is small and cute but when you get past her outer facade, she really does have a powerful personality.

Logan looks at Casey contemplating his involvement with her. A guy doesn't notice so much about a girl unless he is really interested. Casey correctly assessing Logan's look admits, "I thought about asking her out but when I got close, she backed off." He adds, "It was never the right time for us though."

Accepting Logan sits starts to gather up his finished meal. He knows Casey well enough to trust that he would not interfere in Logan's relationship with Veronica.

Casey as he packs up his meal says, "Honestly now she is too much for most guys."

Frowning Logan looks back at his friend and says, "What do you mean?"

Shaking his head he says, "She is not a girl that you can just buy things for and take to expensive places to keep her happy. She doesn't care about money or things. She is strong willed, pushy and always seems to be one step ahead of everyone."

Smiling Logan says, "She really is."

In that moment Casey sees that perhaps Logan is a good match for Veronica. He finds the dark part of her nature appealing and he has his own dark nature as well.

As Logan drives home he realizes that he feels good. He really needed that workout and he enjoyed spending time with Casey. Although they are not close friends, Casey is a good guy and Logan can see they could become pretty good friends. Mostly though, he realizes that he is really happy and grateful that he has Veronica. She really looked after him tonight; perhaps she really is Philotes, the Goddess of Friendship.

Veronica ,sitting in her car outside the Camelot, receives a text from Logan. She texts him back and smiles as she gets his return text. She is happy that he worked out with Casey and liked his late night snack. She loves it when a plan comes together. Casey is a stand up guy and it will be good for Logan to be around an 09er who has a lot of responsibility and who is self directed. It helps that she can tolerate Casey so if they end up going out as a group, she will have Casey to visit with. Mostly though she knows Logan needs some people around him that will steady him. His home life is like trying to stand on shifting sand; he is always unbalanced.

Tonight has been a productive night for her. She got her English paper written, did some paperwork for Mars Investigations and she got brownie points with her new boyfriend. Now if this guy would finish up his tryst with his secretary, she could get her pictures and get to bed for a few hours of much needed sleep. In the meantime she can think about how hot her boyfriend is and how much she likes to be held in his arms. That is something good to think about and she has to admit that it is nice to have something good to dream about for once; it really is.


	8. Chapter 8

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship by arranging for them to have lunch together without asking Veronica. She is upset and avoids Logan the rest of the day. Logan finds Veronica that evening and they have their first real talk as a couple. They set some rules for their relationship and things get easier._

The next day Logan wakes up feeling something he hasn't felt in a long time; he is feeling positive about getting up and going to school. Last night he showered and went to bed after having his negative early evening turn into a pretty good late evening. He was relaxed from his workout, the good meal he ate and visiting Casey. The predominant feeling he had as he settled in to sleep was feeling cared for. It was a feeling he didn't get often and he savored how good it made him feel. He laid there for a few minutes before he fell asleep thinking about his life. He realized that he hasn't felt cared for since before Lilly was killed, Duncan withdrew into himself and Veronica chose her father. The only bright spot in his life since that time had been his mother and unfortunately she had truly become a shadow of the woman he remembered from his youth. When she had finally given up and killed herself, he felt like he had nothing left. The darkness had closed in and he felt hopeless; like he would be better off dead as well. The only thing that kept him from driving to the bridge and following his mother was the thought that in a year he could leave and be away from the darkness; the hate of his father.

He had been in survival mode at the funeral. It was hands down the worst day of his life. He was desperately trying to get through the day; deep inside afraid that he was not strong enough to survive. He felt like the baby deer separated from its mother, surrounded by circling predators; frantically looking for an escape. He could feel their hunger and knew that he would be consumed by them.

He had spotted Veronica and she had miraculously put aside their differences and had been there with him. She had navigated him away from the predators and had taken him to safety. She will probably never understand what it meant to him to sit in the back of his truck with her watching the waves; feeling safe. His head knew that the feeling of security was fleeting but his heart had needed the respite and his soul had been grateful for it.

He had remained in panic mode when he had to go back to school. He was raw, exposed and even his normal cocky manner was not enough to protect him. He felt their stares; their judgment. They were going to see his weaknesses; he was too fragile to hide his pain. They knew his mother had not loved him enough to stay; they knew he was a failure as a son.

Again Veronica had kept them at bay. She had walked with him and had helped him deflect their focus. He had selfishly used her as a shield and she had not seemed to mind; in fact, she had somehow known he needed her and she had been there for him.

Then he kissed her. Although the kiss served its purpose and deflected the students' focus away from his pain and loss, it had been a wonder for Logan. He had really not expected to be so into kissing her but he really was. From the moment his lips touched hers and she had responded, he had been drawn in. He thought that he could kiss her and have the same feelings he did kissing other girls. He thought it would be pleasant but not mean anything. He thought wrong. The world had drifted away and his senses had focused totally on her; the feel of her, the smell of her, the taste of her and the soft noises she made while they kissed. When he had become aware where they were and pulled slightly away from her, he had seen the look of wonder and surprise on her face. He imagined that he had the same dumbfounded look on his face. Kissing Veronica had been so much more than he expected. Actually it had been more than he knew could happen. He had not realized that you could fall into someone else with just a kiss.

Now they are dating and he feels hope again. He is trying to accept that his mother had not been able to hang on another year. Right now the pain is too fresh and his loss too deep but he knows that slowly he will have to deal with his feelings about his father and his mother. Right now he is hanging on to the fact he is dating Veronica. He has strong feelings for her already and he really wants to explore what a relationship with her could be like. He has never had a girlfriend who cares about him and for him.

Logan eats the breakfast Mrs. Navarro made him. He smiles his thanks as he leaves and Mrs. Navarro watches him walk out the door towards the garage noticing the bounce in his step that has been missing. She has been worried that losing his mother would send Logan into a downward spiral that he might never recover from but Logan seems to be hanging on. Eli told her that recently Logan has started dating Veronica Mars. Her grandson has a very negative view of Logan and cannot understand why a smart, beautiful girl like Veronica would date the smug, rude, obnoxious king of the 09ers. Mrs. Navarro knows what Logan's life has been like and knows why he hides himself under the arrogant, uncaring façade. He is young and trying to cope with his life. She remembers the relationship between Logan and Veronica before Lilly died and she understands some of the history between them. Mrs. Navarro thinks that Logan's happiness this morning may be due to his renewed relationship with Veronica and she is very grateful for that. She prays that Veronica will pull Logan through his mother's death.

Logan bounds up to Veronica's door and when she opens the door, he pulls her into his arms and kisses her. To his delight, she eagerly responds and when the kiss is over teases, "Wow, can I request this greeting every time?"

Laughing at her obvious approval, he gently caresses her cheek with his finger and says, "I would be on board with that."

Gazing at her beautiful face, his eyes soften and he quietly tells her, "I really appreciate the workout and late dinner. It really helped."

Pursing her lips she simply says, "We'll look after each other."

Happy she is talking about the future so easily he leans down and gives her the kiss she is asking for.

He pulls up to the school and parks in his usual spot. He opens Veronica's door and they hold hands as usual when they walk towards her locker. He waits by her locker as she gets her morning books out. It is funny how already he has a routine with Veronica.

What is unusual is that today a lot of 09er girls are blatantly making eye contact with him and openly giving him come on looks. Puzzled and a little worried, he looks down at his girlfriend to sees how she is taking their actions. He is shocked when he notices a little smile on her face. He looks closer; is she smirking?

Before he can ask her what is going on, Meg rushes up. After she greets the couple, she physically brushes Logan aside and grasps Veronica's arm turning her from looking into her locker to face her. "You are my heroine!" she gushes.

Logan looks at the two girls in surprise listening as Meg continues, "I didn't believe it would work." She adds obviously impressed, "I will never doubt you again!"

Veronica smiles easily and playfully swats Meg's arms saying, "Oh you! You will turn my head with your kind words."

Laughing Meg tells her, "I'll walk you to class. I want to enjoy this with you."

Agreeable, Veronica shuts her locker and teases, "Next time, I'll let you take the lead."

Megs looks excited and squeals, "I would love it!" The two girls start to walk off towards their class.

Realizing he has been forgotten, Logan reaches over and grasps Veronica's arm. He says, "Oh no! I want to know what is going on."

Meg looks at Logan with a huge smile on her face. She asks him, "Can't you see that the 09er girls are following Veronica's fashion trend?" Logan looks at Meg in surprise. He looks over and sees that they are indeed wearing short skirts and knee socks. He looks back at Meg in question. Meg suggests, "You should mention to Madison that you are impressed she is dressing like Veronica."

Veronica blows a kiss at Logan and takes Meg's arm. As they walk away Logan hears her tease Meg, "Grasshopper, you are a worthy pupil." He hears Meg giggle and watches them leave with narrowed eyes. He knows Veronica is up to something but he really can't think what it could be. Shrugging he decides that it is good she is happy and not upset about the way the 09er girls are acting this morning. He walks off towards his locker pointedly ignoring the come on looks from the 09er girls he sees.

In third period Dick teased Logan about how he and Veronica were hot and heavy yesterday. Thinking about it, Logan answered, "I liked how she looked yesterday."

He laughed when Luke commented that he likes how Veronica looked yesterday as well. Logan said warningly, "Don't like it too much."

Putting his hands up in defense, Luke says, "A guy can look."

"Well you are in luck because now the 09er girls are copying her," Logan points out. John and Peter looked over at their girlfriends in surprise. They had not clued in that the 09er girls were indeed dressing like Veronica did yesterday.

Both girls looked upset and shocked that the 09er guys would think that Veronica was now setting fashion trends.

The teacher started talking and the boys turned their attention to the lecture. However the students sitting around the loud 09er boys heard the conversation and the damage was done. The idea that the 09er girls were dressing like Veronica Mars was important gossip.

At lunch Logan misses meeting Veronica at her locker when he and Dick are detained for talking in class. He walks towards lunch with Dick. He shakes his head when Dick tells him that Madison has gone home to change after he mentioned to her that the outfit looked as cute on her as it did on Ronnie. Logan looks at Dick and sees that he doesn't see anything wrong with what he said to Madison. Logan deadpans, "I can't believe that Madison didn't appreciate that compliment."

Dick shrugs. Carelessly he comments, "Who knows what chicks think?"

Logan notices Veronica walking ahead of them into the Quad. She steps aside as the basketball players run out the door beside her. Logan grasps her waist and pulls her along with him. She smiles happy to see him. Logan says, "Hey babe! Dick ordered deli for lunch today."

Veronica smiles slightly at Dick and says, "Excellent!" Logan sees her disgruntlement at having to eat with the 09ers. He gently squeezes her waist in support as they walk.

He looks at her in surprise when she asks Dick where Madison is.

Frowning a little Dick tells Veronica how Madison got mad at him when he told her he liked the knee socks and how they looked as cute on her as they did on Veronica.

Veronica looks innocently at Dick and says, "Wow that's too bad! I don't know what could be bugging her."

Dick, missing the feigned innocence, comments, "Probably her time of month or something."

Veronica agrees quietly saying in an undertone that only Logan could hear, "She must have a 28 day time of month."

Logan laughs and squeezes Veronica to his side. They walk over and sit at the 09er table.

Meg comes over and sits at the table on the other side of Logan. She arrives just as Dick waves his arm for lunch delivery. She easily takes the bag from Dick and passes the sandwiches around. She takes Madison's salad for herself stating, "Madison went home so she won't mind me eating her lunch."

She smiles at Veronica and Logan notices their shared humor. Before he can ask Veronica about it, her phone rings. Logan recognizes her Dad's ringtone. Veronica gets her phone and gets up going over to a quiet part of the Quad to answer the phone.

Logan leans over and says to Meg, "What is going on?"

Meg smiles at Logan and tells him about Veronica setting up the 09er girls to wear knee socks letting them think Logan can't resist them. She leans in to Logan and says, "Your behavior with Veronica yesterday just reinforced the whole story."

Logan gets a look of surprise on his face and then gets a huge smirk as he remembers Veronica telling him she was going to be using the socks to get back at the 09er girls. He comes back to the present to see Meg looking at him in question. He says, "Is it wrong I find her even more attractive when she is manipulative?"

Meg questions, "Knee socks Logan?"

Logan teases, "I notice you aren't wearing them." Meg blushes. Logan relents and tells her, "The first time I saw Ronnie she was in her soccer uniform. I've wanted her since then."

Meg looks shocked. She questions, "Before she started dating Duncan and you started dating Lilly?"

Logan meets her gaze and nods.

Veronica returns to the table and sits by Logan. She puts her phone back in her bag and turns her attention to her dinner. Logan leans in and asks, "Is every thing OK?"

Nodding she tells him that he dad called because he was leaving town to catch a bail jumper.

Logan nuzzles her neck and says, "Hmmm, can I take you to dinner tonight then?"

Veronica pulls away and bats her eyes at Logan. She teases in a valley girl voice, "For sure."

Logan laughs and briefly kisses her. They both turn their attention to lunch.

After school Logan walks towards the parking lot where he knows Veronica is waiting beside his Xterra. Shaking his head a little in admiration, he smirks as he thinks about the scene she just caused. He has to hand it to her; she really is the queen of revenge.

While he was waiting for her to get her books out of her locker after school, one of the football players opened the locker next to Veronica's. She looked over at him and put her hand up as if she were going to stop him from talking to her even though he hadn't even looked at her. She said loudly and clearly, "Doug, let me save you some time, I am still not interested in giving you a blow job."

Logan leaning against the locker on the other side of Veronica's stood to let Doug know he was there and to see the asshole's reaction to Veronica's statement. He is obviously one of the non 09ers who gave Veronica a hard time.

The students around the area hear Veronica's comment and see Logan's immediate response. They all go quiet and wait for the fireworks.

Doug, seeing Logan stand, gets a really uncomfortable look on his face and glances around to see if any of his football buddies are around to help him.

Veronica meanwhile has turned her attention back to her locker and is putting her last period book away and getting her homework out to put in her messenger bag.

Of course she knew that he would get protective. Logan figures that since he caused a lot of the mistreatment, he can now be proactive in helping stop it. He said firmly but quietly, "Doug, I think we should talk."

Doug, in a very bad spot, has to agree. If he blows off a talk with Logan, he knows it will upset Logan even more than he is right now and that is something you don't want to do at Neptune High.

Logan deliberately softens his voice as he looks down at his girlfriend who has a deceptively innocent look on her face right now, "Ronnie, can you please wait for me by the car?"

Looking up at Logan she nods and says sweetly, "OK."

Leaning down he kisses her forehead and adds, "I'll be right there."

Veronica shuts her locker and shoulders her messenger bag and then walks off unhurriedly towards the parking lot as if she didn't just cause the impending confrontation between Logan and Doug.

Logan looks around at the waiting students with a 'what are you still doing here' look on his face. They immediately take the hint and go back to their conversations; most leave Doug and Logan alone.

Crossing his arms and leaning casually on Veronica's locker, Logan says, "I don't want to see you anywhere near Veronica ever again." He meets Doug's gaze and adds firmly, "During school or anytime after school."

Doug shocked at the extent of the 09er's anger says, "But I am dating Joanne Templeton." Since he started dating the cheerleader who lives in the 09er district, he has been a regular at the most sought after parties.

Shrugging Logan succinctly says, "Don't care." He finishes menacingly, "You will stay away from Veronica. Don't look at her, don't talk to her and don't be anywhere near her."

The students who manage to listen can see Logan is truly angry at Doug. It doesn't matter that Doug is a popular football player and dating an 09er cheerleader, he made an enemy of Veronica Mars who is now important to Logan Echolls. Doug is socially out.

Doug stands in shock as Logan turns and walks casually off towards the parking lot. All he has worked for is gone. He is pretty sure that Joanne will break up with him now.

Spotting his girlfriend waiting by his car, Logan walks over to see her. He knows that his punishment of Doug will set a clear example to all the non 09ers that bothered Veronica in order to increase their social standings. As far as Logan is concerned, she has been bothered enough by guys like Doug. He is going to protect her now.

Knowing they are being watched he leans in trapping her between the car and his body. Bending his head he nuzzles her neck as he murmurs, "I take it Doug is one of the many non 09er students you want to deal with but don't have time by yourself?" He leans closer so their bodies are touching and adds, "What is that, level two?"

Tilting her head she enjoys his attention and doesn't answer his question until she wraps her arms around his neck pulling his face to hers. She says, "He's one of the top ten on that list," just before she kisses him. Logan can feel her thanks in the kiss.

When the kiss is over, Logan leans his forehead against hers and says, "I'll drop you off at the office for a while and then I'll take you out to supper."

Veronica gazes up at him with her arms around his neck and agrees, "Sounds good." There is a pause where she doesn't move her arms. She is feeling very protected right now and it is a feeling she finds she kind of likes. Wanting to savor it for a few more seconds, she asks, "One more kiss first?"

"Absolutely," he tells her as he leans in to kiss her again. They both focus on each other and ignore the looks from their fellow students.

As Logan gets ready to drive off he sees Dick and Madison get out of the back seat of Dick's SUV. Logan smiles as he puts his car in reverse and backs out. Veronica seeing his smile asks him what he is thinking about.

Logan answers easily, "Cat nip."

"Really?" she frowns as she looks at him, "What about it?"

Reaching over he takes her hand. He raises her hand and gently kisses it saying, "Do you have to go home to let Back Up out?"

Accepting the subject change Veronica nods and says, "After I finish at the office if that's OK with you."

"It is," he smiles at her.

After Logan drops Veronica off, he drives over to see Duncan. He doesn't see him much at school now he is dating Veronica and he wants their relationship to be easy and relaxed. The students at the school have to see a united Duncan/Logan front over Veronica and Duncan needs to work at his relationship with Veronica. Logan is not comfortable with Duncan's big secret but he understands having secrets that you don't want to get out. It is not his secret to tell but Veronica does deserve to know. Somehow he has to get Duncan to tell her before they graduate and go separate ways. During a pause in their game Logan tells Duncan about how Veronica set up the 09er girls to wear knee socks. He sees that Duncan understands the knee sock reference and that he is trying to be OK with him dating Veronica.

Logan turns a little and looks at his friend as he tells him about Veronica's rating scale for the people who hurt her and how she set up Doug to be ostracized. Immediately Logan can see that Duncan was aware of all the abuse Veronica took.

Duncan, curious about Veronica's rating scale, is dismayed to find that he and Logan are in their own category. He comments that he is not surprised that they are at the top of her list. Looking really uncomfortable and unhappy, Logan tells his best friend that they are not on the top list.

Immediately Duncan looks upset and questions, "Who is on the top list?"

Upset himself Logan looks down at his controller and tells Duncan that when he asked Veronica the same question, she got really upset and refused to talk to him about it. He looks up at DK and says quietly, "I could tell it was bad."

Duncan grips his controller tightly as he thinks about Veronica being hurt by someone.

Logan looks out the window for a few seconds at the perfectly manicured back yard at the Kane house before he says, "I was a total jackass to her. She doesn't feel like confiding in me right now."

Sighing a little in understanding Duncan tells him, "I doubt she'll talk to me either." He thinks for a few seconds and then comments, "I don't think she has too many friends."

Logan grimaces as he thinks about how he really ensured she was alone. If something bad happened to her, she really wouldn't have anyone to talk to about it.

Duncan tentatively tries, "Maybe Meg?"

Thinking Logan about how Meg seems closer to Veronica than any other girl but Meg is so sweet and innocent, he really doubts that Veronica confides in her. "Maybe. She did rescue Veronica from lunch with us the other day."

Now it is Duncan's turn to grimace a little in memory. DK says, "She really did not want to be at lunch with me."

Logan gives his best friend a look of sympathy. He shares, "She was really upset with me that night." He pauses and then continues, "It is going to be hard to get her to trust me." He looks at his friend and finishes, "Our relationship won't make it without trust."

Surprised Duncan sees that Logan is serious about Veronica. He points out, "You are going to have to be careful with her."

Logan nods in agreement. After a short silence Logan shares, "The first order of business is we have to protect her. No one can hurt her anymore."

Duncan looks at his friend and says, "I think most of the 09ers have stopped harassing her."

Frowning a little, Logan says, "They will now you have accepted her." Logan thinks for a few seconds and then says, "We could get someone to ask around and find out which of the students were the worst to her."

Duncan immediately understands where Logan is going with it and says, "You want to help her with her non 09er list."

Logan nods and says, "Yeah, although I got the 09ers to be mean to her, I didn't ask people I don't know to try and hurt her."

Duncan thinks for a few seconds and says, "I think Beaver could help with that."

Logan thinks about it and agrees, "I'll ask him." Logan taps his fingers restlessly on his knee as he thinks. Finally he says, "I think I'll ask Meg; see what she knows."

Duncan nods and ventures, "Maybe we should get her professional help." He adds quietly, "She saw a counselor after Lilly died."

A little shocked at the idea Logan asks, "How would we do that? We can't really go to her dad and ask him to get her help."

Frowning at the logistics of getting Veronica to see a counselor, Duncan says, "I don't know."

Logan thinks about it and says, "Let's just start with talking to Meg. Maybe she can help us."

Now that they are armed with a plan, the two boys go back to their game.

Veronica, in her father's office, is working on the billing. She wished people would pay on time so she wouldn't have to send out so many reminders but having a business is what it is. When she is done paying the bills and sending out invoices, she does her homework. After a couple of hours, she texts Logan that she is finished.

When Logan arrives to pick her up, he sees her English paper sitting out printed on the desk. She lets Logan read it as she packs up. He frowns a little as he reads. Veronica reaches in her bag and hands Logan a red pen. She lightly teases, "Go ahead and fix it." He looks at her in surprise when she adds, "You know you want to."

Seeing she is not upset he takes the pen and sits down. She smiles as he focuses on her paper. He was always better in English than her. He is so well read and so fluent with languages. Veronica, watching Logan as he focuses on editing her paper, smiles what most people would call a girly smile. This handsome, sexy male is her boyfriend. He is a great kisser and she feels so protected and cared for when he holds her. The old Veronica would have relished being a girly girl but the new Veronica is a little put out at how easily Logan can break through her defenses. She gave Logan, Duncan and her 09er friends power over her and it ended really, really badly. She cannot do that again.

However she can see that Logan is trying to make amends. She has this feeling deep inside that he does truly care for her. Although she doesn't have a lot of hope this whole situation will end well, she feels something for him and despite her fears, she is going to give their relationship a try.

When she looks at the changes he made she shakes her head slightly and says, "You should definitely be in AP English."

Her boyfriend looks surprised but recovers and says, "Remember, too much work."

Grimacing as she puts the paper away she comments dryly, "As much as it pains me to admit this, AP English would not be much work for you."

Her attention taken by putting her laptop in her messenger bag, she misses Logan's happiness that she thinks he is smart in English.

Later that night Veronica lays on her bed and looks up at her ceiling. Her mind is racing and one thought keeps coming to the front: 'Logan thinks I am still a virgin'. The thought that follows that is that 'he doesn't know about Shelly's party; he doesn't know about the rape'.

There was no mistaking his thoughts; he wasn't trying to fool her. He genuinely doesn't know. After they ate dinner, he brought her back to her apartment and they watched television. Of course they began to make out.

When things got a little too hot and heavy for her, she pulled back. Obviously aroused, he had immediately stopped and rushed to reassure her. He was very patient, sweet and understanding with her. He had been so sincere in telling her that he would not push her and that they would go at her pace. He told her that he knew she was a virgin and that he knew she didn't trust him yet. He had taken her face in his hands mistaking her shock and upset for embarrassment at the conversation.

Gently he had kissed her and told her not to be upset and that he was really sorry for pushing her too far too fast and scaring her. He held her close to him rubbing his hand in her hair and the other slowly up and down her back. She had leaned into him and took comfort from his embrace and tried to regulate her breathing. The whole time she had been trying not to cry. The talk of her virginity had really upset her but not for the reasons that Logan was thinking. When he tried to pull away and look at her, she held him tight to her and finally said, "I just don't want to talk about it tonight."

Frustrated at how closed in she is, he took a deep breath and said, "OK. I understand that I need to wait until you are ready to talk to me."

Now lying in bed she has so many emotions running through her head. She really enjoyed kissing and making out with Logan. He is a great kisser and according to Lilly, very skilled with sex. She doesn't doubt that now. It had been really wonderful kissing him and having him touch her. Who is she kidding, it felt so damn good being touched by him but the fact was, she got scared when the touches got more intimate. How does she explain that to him?

Lying in his own bed, Logan is having entirely different thoughts. Logan is experienced with girls. He knows their reactions to his touch. There was no mistaking Veronica's fear of him. She wasn't acting like a shy virgin; she was truly scared. Someone has really hurt Veronica and he thinks he knows how. He hopes to god he is wrong but deep inside he is sure. The only other thing he is sure of is he is going to find out who and they are going to pay dearly.


	9. Chapter 9

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship hoping that Veronica and Duncan can remain friends. Veronica stiffens when they are making out and Logan realizes someone physically hurt her. _

The next morning the warm California sun rises, as expected, and the exhausted young man pulls himself out of bed and heads to the shower. He hopes that Veronica is well rested but he guesses that their make out session caused her to have a sleepless night as well.

On his way over to see her he feels very conflicted. Part of him can't wait to see her, talk to her and touch her. The other part of him is so afraid that he is going to say or do something wrong and hurt her more. As he drove past the beach he briefly thought of skipping school to surf. Surfing always helped him clear his thoughts and he thinks that after school, he may have to meet his friends and surf until he drops from exhaustion.

When she opens the door, he can immediately see that she is not sure what to expect from him this morning. In truth, he is unsure how to treat her. Lying awake in bed last night he had not come to any decisions. He needs to talk to Veronica about his suspicions but how do you start a conversation like that? He feels really unprepared for this situation. He wishes his mother were alive to talk to or he had someone else he could ask about what he should do. A lot of her behavior made so much more sense now. She changed her appearance and got tough. She is hiding her secret and protecting herself. He understands now why he and Duncan are not at the top of her list. Whoever hurt her is there in a category of his own. Emotionally does she need to talk about what happened? Does she have anyone she can talk to? He doesn't really know how to find out either.

He also doesn't know how to treat her physically. Should he back off and let her set the pace or should he bring the physical part of her relationship with him along slowly? She seemed to enjoy their kisses and his touches. All he is sure of is that everything is different now he knows.

Looking down at her anxious face Logan feels the protectiveness rise in him. He reaches up and gently caresses her cheek, pushes her hair back behind her ear and lets his hand run slowly down her arm to her hand. Slowly and deliberately he takes her hand in his and lifts it to his lips. He kisses her hand and tells her in a husky voice, "You look beautiful this morning."

He is relieved to see her smile in pleasure at his compliment and blush at his actions.

Reassured he is not upset with her she steps in wrapping her arms around his neck and kisses him. She was really upset last night about withdrawing from Logan. She doesn't want him to think she is a tease. She really likes the physical part of their relationship and she doesn't want the rape to ruin a good thing for her but she really did get scared; not that Logan would physically hurt her…. just scared and she doesn't know why.

Logan starts by keeping the kiss light but soon joins in the kiss matching her intensity. When they are done he pulls back and looks down at her. Keeping his voice light and happy, he says, "Good morning to you Miss Mars."

She smiles back at his teasing and intones, "I think the first kiss of the day is important."

Enjoying her humor he asks, "Like breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"

Nodding seriously she agrees and adds, "Although all nutrition is important."

His smile widens at her banter and he puts in, "I couldn't agree more."

Taking her hand, he pulls her gently towards the stairs and questions, "What is on the agenda for today?"

Walking with her towards his vehicle he listens as she tells him that Mr. Ball has moved the Chess Club championship to this week and she has her first match today.

Logan asks her who she is playing and she mentions that she is going against the guy who finished third last year. Curious Logan asks her about how she thinks she will do and she tells him she didn't enter last year so this is her first real tournament.

Glowering a little as he thinks about how the coach let the other students ignore her, Logan points out that she doesn't have much live experience either. Smiling at his anger on her behalf, she says conversationally, "You know there is a group of people who play chess most evenings and Saturday mornings at the Community Center?" She adds, "Anyone can play."

Immediately he sees that she has found a way to practice and learn what she needs to know. He smiles in admiration and comments, "Well it appears that the illustrious members of the Neptune Chess Club might find you to be more competition than they anticipated."

With a little smile that Logan recognizes as her 'dangerous' smile, she agrees, "They might."

He lets go of her hand and opens her door. Clapping in cheerleader enthusiasm he says, "I could come and be your cheerleader."

Laughingly she says, "No, that isn't really necessary but I wouldn't say no to a tuna sub."

He bows dramatically, "Your wish is my command." He stands and looks down at her smiling face, "Besides as your boyfriend it is my duty to support you."

Reaching up to caress his cheek she says quietly, "You do."

Touched, he leans down the last few inches placing his lips over her. The kiss is quiet and full of soft meaning.

Logan does take Veronica a sandwich and he is allowed to stay only a few minutes to deliver Veronica's lunch. He sees that she and her opponent are finished setting up their board and are preparing to start their match. He leans down and gently kisses her and says quietly, "I hope you kick his ass."

She smiles gently and returns, "Elementary, my dear Logan."

He laughs and waves as he leaves, "The game is afoot, Veronica Mars."

She smiles back at him and watches the delightful view as he walks away. When she turns back she notices her opponent smirking at her. She frowns at him and says, "Let's start."

After lunch, Logan sees some of the chess club members leave and he goes into the room to see how Veronica did. Spotting her packing up the chess board, he walks over to talk to her. Her smile of greeting makes Logan's heart skip. Having a girlfriend whose face lights up when she sees him is an unexpected pleasure. He remembers how she always seemed so happy to see Duncan and how she gave him a few seconds of her complete attention when she first saw him no matter what was going on in the group. It was as if she was assessing how he was and if he needed her. She always met his gaze and they silently communicated before they gave their attention to others. He never understood how important it was and had always teased them about their puppy love. He had not realized that they were developing their relationship in those quiet moments. It is times like this that Logan comes a little closer to understanding how torn Duncan was to find out that Veronica was his sister; all those moments of closeness were gone.

He smiles back at her and when he is close, he leans in and asks, "Does the winner or loser pack up the board?"

Mock frowning at him, she answers, "Duh, the winner."

His smile grows as he teases back, "Good, I don't date losers."

Openly laughing, she challenges, "I think I could make a compelling argument against that statement."

Raising his hands in mock defeat he leans in and nuzzles her cheek whispering, "It is not good form to talk about old relationships."

"You are smarter than you look," she tells him and then slaps her hand over her mouth as if to stop herself from talking. She pulls her hand away and asks, "Oh, did I just say that out loud?"

Unable to stop his laughter he wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer. He sobers a little and says quietly, "Smart enough to know how lucky he is to be dating you."

Touched she leans closer and lifts her face for his kiss which he gives her without hesitation.

The other winners of the first chest match put their games away and can't help but notice the interaction between Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars. Shockingly, the one time close friends who became mortal enemies are now in love.

Following the dictation of the social hierarchy, they ignored and isolated Veronica when she was fighting with Logan. Now she is his girlfriend and has a direct impact on who is invited to the most sought after parties and events. The rumors are that her new top dog boyfriend is insanely protective of her and he will not hesitate to come down hard on anyone who has upset her. He has publically warned one Miss Madison Sinclair, the most popular 09er girl and captain of the cheerleaders, about being mean to Veronica and yesterday he socially isolated the running back on the football team for mistreating Veronica. Unfortunately, most of the members of the Neptune High Chess Club have at least once a week been rude to or at least pointedly ignored Veronica Mars over the past year and a half. It is a very uncomfortable situation for them seeing Logan in their classroom. They are worried that Veronica might have or will say something to him about how they treated her.

Logan lets go of Veronica and walks over to look at the tournament schedule posted on the wall by the door while Veronica finishes cleaning up the chess board. He notices that Veronica is the lowest ranked player in the tournament and she will have to play all the top ranked players to win her bracket. Walking towards the door, Veronica stops beside her boyfriend and sees what he is looking so intently at. She shoulders her messenger bag and comments, "Did you know that Mr. Ball has a running bet with the chess coach at Pan High each year that the Neptune High representative will beat the Pan High representative in the City Tournament?"

Logan looks closely at Veronica and answers, "No I didn't know that."

Quietly Veronica points out that Bracket A contains the serious players in the NHCC while Bracket B is anyone else in the school who wishes to compete and the weaker chess players from the club.

Looking closely at her, he asks, "If you are the lowest ranked player, how did you get put in Bracket A?"

Shrugging, she informs him that Mr. Ball said that one of the secretaries typed it up wrong.

Smirking Logan knows that Veronica has an in somewhere in Clemmons' office. Information is power to Veronica. He should know as she planted a bong in his locker and he was then given a locker search.

He wonders why she would get herself put into Bracket A. He looks back at the tournament schedule and thinks aloud, "So the winner of Bracket A should have an easy road to become the champion."

Pleased at how quick and smart her boyfriend is, Veronica nods and looks at Logan instead of the schedule. She points out, "It is not likely but if the bottom ranked player were to win Bracket A and then lose to a low ranked player in Bracket B, then the champion and representative from Neptune High in the City Tournament could be a poorly ranked player."

Thinking for a few seconds, Logan sees the brilliance of her plan. He puts his arm around Veronica's shoulder as he walks with her out the door of the classroom. Placidly, he points out, "That is really a flaw in the set up of the tournament."

She smiles impressed that he picked up so easily on her plan. He adds, "What does the loser of the bet between Mr. Ball and the coach at Pan High have to do?"

"Rent a billboard proclaiming the other man as the better chess coach," she smirks in response.

Amused Logan points out, "That would make a great year book picture."

Laughing Veronica wraps her arm around Logan's waist and leans into him. She says, "My tuna sub was delicious. Thank you."

Leaning down her kisses her forehead and says, "You are welcome."

The students, always tuned into Logan's mood, see that he is very protective of Veronica today. He has met her after most of her morning classes and he brought her lunch in chess club and met her afterwards.

However the real gossip today is that Duncan Kane overheard someone talking negatively about Veronica in the hallway and for once reacted. The billionaire's son crossed his arms and asked the two boys to repeat what they said. The students nearby stopped in shock as they took in that Duncan Kane was now defending Veronica Mars' reputation. Inexplicably he demanded that the boys publically apologize to Veronica the next time they saw her. Obvious angry he told them, "You will regret it if you don't."

That is how Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars walking together towards her locker were stopped by two sophomore basketball players who quickly and profusely apologized for talking about her.

Immediately pissed, Logan stepped towards them only to be stopped by Veronica who took his arm and guided him around the two scared boys. She said loudly enough for the students around them to hear, "I don't even know who they are Logan. You can't be mad they are apologizing."

Shaking his head as he looks back at them, he says, "Oh, I can be mad."

Arriving at her locker, Veronica says, "We have more important things to think about."

Turning back to her he asks, "What things?"

She tilts her head at him softly saying, "Well I was thinking I would invite you over for dinner tonight."

Instantly forgetting about the two boys, he leans against the locker beside hers and asks, "Is your dad back in town?"

"No," she drawls, "I am going to cook my famous spicy wings for you tonight if you are available."

He lifts his hands as if weighing his options. "On one hand alone time with my super hot girlfriend…" He lifts his left hand and adds, "On the other hand, having my stomach pumped at the local emergency room…"

Indignantly she clarifies, "I said my famous spicy wings…"

Laughing at her reaction he says, "Oh they are famous…"

Pouting she says, "Fine you don't have to come to dinner."

Wrapping his arms around her he teases gently, "I will risk a visit to the ER to spend time with you."

She deadpans, "That is so romantic!"

He kisses her. They both miss the looks of anger from the 09er girls who are walking from the Quad to their lockers. Since Lilly died, Madison has been their leader and Logan has not interfered with her decisions. However things changed when Logan started dating Veronica Mars. The 09er boys are used to following Logan's and Duncan's instructions but the 09er girls are not used to listening to Logan.

They are furious that Logan very publically banned them from their place at the coveted center table so his girlfriend would be more comfortable sitting with him. Then when Madison stood up to Logan, he surprised everyone by telling her to leave Veronica alone and then ruthlessly stripping her of all her 09er power. She is only welcome in the power circle if she is dating Dick.

Now they are upset that the school thinks Veronica is setting the fashion trends and enough is enough. They are not going to make nice with Logan's girlfriend. She is not going to be accepted just because Logan says so.

Later that evening, Logan is physically tired from surfing and his of course, his lack of sleep the night before. He was starved when he arrived at Veronica's apartment and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious her spicy wings were. He easily admitted that they did indeed deserve the moniker of 'famous'.

Veronica had been pleased he liked the meal she cooked. She admitted that there were only a few dishes she was able to cook adequately. Logan hugged her easily telling her he was impressed none the less. Truly he was touched that she made the effort to cook for him.

After they did the dishes, they decided to watch a movie together. Logan, sitting with his arm around Veronica, is not focused on the screen. He finds he has a lot on his mind. He really enjoyed this evening with Veronica. It was relaxed and easy. He understands that she probably sees their evening together as ordinary but it is anything but to Logan. He could see that living with Veronica would give him the home life he never had but really wanted.

Also on his mind is his discussion this afternoon with Beaver. While they were surfing he decided to take Duncan's advice and approach Beaver since he was in a lot of classes with Veronica and had more opportunities to see who harassed her. The younger Cassablancas had, at first, been reluctant and defensive. Finally Logan said, "DK and I are not going after the 09ers who bothered Veronica, we are interested in the others who harassed her to impress the rest of the school." Once he had been reassured that he and Dick were safe from Logan's wrath, he had given Logan about ten names of guys he saw regularly tease Veronica. Logan didn't know many of them so he had to put their names in his phone and he texted the list to Duncan.

Now his thoughts are a little scattered. He is thinking of ways to get back at the guys who harassed Veronica and he is also thinking of all the pranks the 09ers played on Veronica. They were higher on her list than the non09ers that bothered her but really they were just following his instructions so he is to blame. His thoughts also went to the dark area of when and who hurt Veronica. When he went there, he became so angry.

He is taken out of his thoughts when he feels Veronica's hand on his knee and hears her questioning voice, "Logan?"

Looking over at her he can see that she has turned sideways and is almost facing him on the couch. She has stopped the movie.

Focusing his full attention on her, he gentles his features and asks, "What?"

Frowning a little at the obvious anger on his handsome face and his inattention to the movie, she lightly teases, "Robin Williams is widely considered a comic genius."

Smiling a little at her manner, he reaches over and brushes her hair back from her face apologizing, "I'm sorry. I guess I wasn't paying attention."

Rubbing his knee a little in sympathy, she says, "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Leaning in, he gently kisses her and answers, "There are a few things but I think another night would be better for most of them." He looks down at her sincere face and adds, "I need to sort things out in my head first."

Smiling she zings, "Well that could take a long time."

A genuine smile appears on his handsome face and he tells her, "I guess I deserved that for ignoring you the last little while."

"I do feel very neglected," she pouts cutely.

Leaning in close he nuzzles her ear and notices that she immediately turns her head giving him better access to her neck. Softly he breathes in her ear whispering, "How can I make it up to you?"

Smiling a secret little smile, she tells him, "I am definitely going to let you try."

Teasing her he says in his Yoda voice, "Do or do not; there is no try."

Giggling she turns her face and kisses him.

Logan responds turning his head slightly to deepen their kiss. He puts his hand behind her head to hold it there and he just enjoys kissing her over and over. When Veronica tries to pull herself closer, Logan just holds her gently but firmly and he continues to kiss her moving from her lips to her ear and neck and back to her lips.

In bliss Veronica realizes that Logan has taken control and she just relaxes and enjoys his attentions. She wonders, not for the first time, what Lilly was thinking leaving Logan for other guys. Most women finding a man who is as good looking, sexy and as exciting as Logan would not be looking for other guys. Throw in the fact that he is the best kisser and very romantic and Veronica can see why girls don't hesitate when he crooks his finger at them.

When Logan finally pulls his lips from hers, he looks down at her and has to smirk a little at her relaxed posture and her little smile of satisfaction. He gently rubs the back of her neck with his hand and says, "So did I make it up to you sufficiently?"

"Mmmm," she answers as she slowly opens her eyes. "I think so."

He smiles at her and tells her, "I love kissing you."

His girlfriend sighs happily and says, "I love kissing you too."

After a few seconds of quiet Logan ventures, "Ronnie…"

Sensing he has something to talk to her about, she meets his gaze and waits. Restlessly he rubs both her arms from her shoulder to her elbow and then grasps both her shoulders so she is facing him. He says, "I have something I do want to talk to you about tonight but the topic might make you uncomfortable."

He feels her stiffen a little and he adds quickly, "We have a lot of issues between us." Running his hand through his hair he says, "Hell, we have issues on top of issues."

Putting his hand back on her shoulder he tells her earnestly, "Our relationship means a lot to me already."

She can't help but smile a little at his admission. She had not been expecting him to tell her she is important to him. He continues, "We haven't been dating very long. As a couple we are new and …. fragile."

Frowning a little she looks at him and sees he is genuinely worried about them. She tentatively asks, "Are you unhappy with us?"

Immediately he shakes his head and reassures her, "No Ronnie, No." He puts his hand to her cheek and says, "I love dating you."

He sees her relax a little as he gently caresses her cheek with his thumb. Her skin is so soft! After a few seconds he continues, "It's just that most new relationships don't have the issues and history that ours has."

Pausing while he thinks, he takes a deep breath and lets it out. "Look I just want to slowly talk out our issues but I don't want to over tax the good things we have."

Veronica thinks she understands what he is saying. She clarifies, "You are worried that our relationship is not strong enough to handle all the problems we have between us?"

"I just want to be proactive," he shares. Leaning in he kisses her with sweet emotion and Veronica responds fully. When the kiss is over he takes her face in his hands and says, "I want to make sure that we take time to slowly talk out some of the things between us. I don't want misunderstandings to sink us."

Although she is unsure about talking out their issues, she is actually touched he thinks about the future of their relationship and worries about them. It is obvious that he values what they have. Feeling really protected by his kisses and his touch, she asks, "What are you suggesting?"

Logan gathers his thoughts for a few seconds and then suggests, "Once a week we talk about an issue that is between us."

A little uncomfortable with the idea, Veronica questions, "What if one of us doesn't want to talk about the issue?"

He thinks about her concern and compromises, "What about if we don't have to talk but we have to listen?"

She thinks hard for a few seconds and agrees, "That sounds fair."

Logan takes her hand and says, "How about this week, I pick the topic?"

Immediately she looks a little defensive and cornered. Logan quietly says, "I am only asking that you listen, but I would like you to talk about it if you can."

Nodding a little reluctantly she tries to pull her hand away. Logan instantly shakes his head and says, "No Veronica, you can't physically withdraw. We have to be able to talk about our concerns without worrying that the other one will pull away."

Logan turns his hands palm up and looks at Veronica in question. After a few seconds of meeting his gaze she puts her hands on top of his and he links their fingers together. Turning one hand he raises it up and kisses the back of hers and says, "Thank you."

She bites her lip in worry but tries to smile a little at him. Logan says, "You are a very hot girl and I am a normal teenage boy."

She blushes a little and Logan goes on to tell her that he wants her to be comfortable with everything that happens physically between them. He talks about how he has been sexually active for a while and how he can tell that the chemistry between them is special. He adds quietly, "I know you are not as experienced and I don't want to worry or scare you."

He doesn't add 'like last night' but they both know he is referencing the uncomfortable moment between them.

When she doesn't say anything Logan continues, "I need to know that when we start making out you will feel confident enough and secure enough to let me know when you are uncomfortable and when you want to stop."

Letting go of one of her hands he gently lifts her face to look at her. He sees she is reluctant to meet his gaze. Letting go of her other hand he takes her chin in his hand and looks down at her. "Veronica, with me you will always have control. You can stop us anytime you are uncomfortable and I will understand."

He runs his thumb over her lip and adds, "Eventually you will come to trust me with your heart and your body." Bending his head a little he looks directly into her eyes and promises, "I know this because I am here for the long run and I am going to show you that although I have been a huge idiot in the past, I am not going to let you down again."

Her eyes tear and Logan immediately pulls her into his arms and holds her to his chest. Veronica puts her head on his chest and listens to the regular beating of his heart. She knows they needed to talk about the physical part of their relationship and they needed to set some rules. Logan has done that and she is impressed that he so willingly gave her control. It means more than he will ever know that he respects her so much. Part of her is really afraid how quickly he has become important to her and how much she has already let him in. He could really hurt her again and she is afraid to give her heart to him.

She knows that eventually she is going to have to tell him about the rape but right now she just can't. She hasn't told anyone; she just can't.

Holding her close he says, "Thank you for listening."

She nods against him content right now to just be in his arms and be held. Logan lays back pulling Veronica to lay beside him on the couch. He just needs to hold her for a while tonight.

Last night he had given their relationship a lot of thought and he realized that he needs to earn her trust emotionally and physically. He is willing to work for that trust. He means what he told her; he is there for the long run. He just hopes their fledgling relationship can make it long enough for him to earn her trust and her love. He wants that more than anything.


	10. Chapter 10

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret.. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship and try to have a relationship with his sister. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. _

At home Logan relaxes in bed. He didn't sleep that well last night and even though he feels exhausted physically and mentally, he finds that sleep is eluding him again tonight. At the ripe age of seventeen, he has a multitude of legitimate reasons for insomnia. But, in reality, he isn't missing sleep because he is worried about avoiding the next outburst from his unstable, psychotic father or the sharp conversations with his self absorbed sister.

No, the problem is the mansion seems really empty without his mother. Even when she was away, her presence was there; he knew she was coming back. Now when he allows himself to think about his mother, he feels her loss deeply. Even after Lilly died, Duncan became a zombie and he felt he lost Veronica, he had his mother. He knew that she was desperately unhappy and was increasingly withdrawing into the numbing effect of alcohol and pills to cope. What he didn't see was how close to breaking she had been. He guesses he had been so caught up in counting the days until he and his mother could leave Aaron, that he did not understand that she was too destroyed, too damaged and too unhappy to make it the last few months.

When he thinks about never seeing her beautiful face again, never hearing her voice soften when she tells him she loves him and never holding her in his arms again, he feels utterly alone. The pain of her loss is so profound that he only brings it out in little doses; afraid, if he opens himself up to the full emotions, it will consume him.

He is a person who feels strong emotions and his mother always told him that he should embrace that. She felt that it was a gift to be able to feel so passionately stating that although he would have strong negative emotions, he would also be able to feel true love and true passion. She told him that most people are unable or unwilling to feel the joy because they are afraid of the pain.

He remembers, one day after he started dating Lilly, telling his mother that she was right and that he felt true passion for Lilly. She had hugged him and told him that he would one day feel more for the girl who was meant to be his true love. Secretly he thought it was sweet that, despite the life she led, a part of her was romantic believing that life could be like the movies she starred in; the ones that had wonderful, dreamlike, unrealistic endings where the heroine found true love and lived happily ever after.

Right now Logan feels a lot of strong emotions and he guesses that is why he cannot sleep. Part of him knows that his father drove his mother to her end and he hates him with a burning passion. Deep inside when he lets it out, a part of him is angry at his mother; she left him alone with a father who hates him and a sister who doesn't care for anyone but herself. Mostly, he ruthlessly depresses his anger towards his mother for abandoning him and for not being strong enough because he knows that she faced an overwhelming opponent. She fought and lost and he has to accept that. Still inside the young man is a hurt boy whose mother did not love him enough to protect him and did not love him enough to stay. It really all comes down to the fact that he is unlovable.

His phone buzzes and takes him out of his dark thoughts. He reaches over to grab his phone off his night stand hoping it is Veronica wanting to talk about her night. When he looks at his phone he sees that the text is not from the blond who takes up so much of his thoughts; instead it is from Casey. Depressing the button, he opens it and reads, "girl revolt tmrw".

Frowning Logan texts back, "Thx"

He thinks for a few minutes and decides that he should have anticipated that the 09er girls would step up their vendetta against Veronica. Madison is used to having free rein to do whatever she wants and he challenged her. It is not a huge surprise that she is reacting negatively; of course she will try and get her power back. The question is 'what should he do about it?'

He opens his contact list and starts texting. The 09er girls need to be taught to leave Veronica alone. No one is going to target her anymore.

A few minutes later he is finished and contemplating watching a movie to see if he can try and fall asleep. His thoughts go to Veronica and how they have so many issues between them but were taking things one day at a time. He and Veronica were able to get past the negative moment they had at her apartment yesterday and they actually had a pretty nice day together today.

His phone beeps and he frustratedly reaches for it to see who is texting him. He smiles when he sees that this time, it is Veronica asking if he is still awake. He texts back that he is awake and is pleased to hear her ring tone shortly after.

Answering quickly he intones, "Logan Echolls, lucky boyfriend of the sexy, smart and gorgeous Veronica Mars speaking. How can I help you?"

He is happy to hear the smile in her voice when she says, "You have a wonderful telephone voice. You should keep that in mind if you ever need a profession to fall back on."

Laughing he teases huskily, "I have more than my voice going for me." He shifts down to get more comfortable on the bed. "Of course that is for me to know and you to find out," he finishes suggestively.

"Mmmm…" she answers her voice soft and purring, "I do so love a mystery."

His smile widens and he retorts, "Yeah, not much of a mystery here."

He listens as she settles more comfortably. She sighs and shares, "I don't know Logan. You have been surprising me lately."

A little worried he queries, "In a good way though?"

"Yes," she reassures, "In a lot of good ways." There is a pause as she gathers her thoughts and then to his relief she continues, "If anyone would have told me a few weeks ago that we would be dating now, I would have thought they were crazy."

Logan internally grimaces as he thinks about how he treated her since Lilly died. Before he can apologize she goes on, "It's not just because of how angry you were with me and how we fought the past year."

Veronica struggles with how to word what she is thinking but finally settles on, "I guess when I think of you at times, you are still Lilly's boyfriend in my mind."

Unsure where she is going with her late night thoughts, Logan agrees, "I guess it is different for me though. You and DK have been separate from a while."

The silence between them is a little awkward but Veronica seems to decide to work through it. She says, "I don't see Duncan and me together anymore. I haven't for a long time." Finally she sighs and pushes on, "I think the difference is if Lilly hadn't died, you would still be with her."

Part of Logan is thrilled that Veronica wants to talk to him about something so personal and the other part of him is a little freaked out at how deep the conversation is getting. He says, "Ronnie I know you were Lilly's best friend so you understand how vivacious and full of spirit she was; how big a draw she was for people in general and guys in particular."

He takes a deep breath and lets it out before continuing, "The thing is if Lilly was alive I hope we would still be friends but I don't think we would be dating anymore."

Veronica is shocked silent. This conversation has taken a turn she was not expecting. She had been looking at pictures of the four of them and unexpectedly she was feeling a little guilty for dating Logan.

She was worried at how tired Logan has been looking so she decided to text him and see if he was asleep yet. She did not really plan on having this conversation with him tonight.

Logan carries on sadly, "I loved Lilly but it was obvious that she wasn't happy with me."

"Oh Logan," Veronica almost whispers, "Lilly did love you."

Quiet now that he has confessed his true feelings about Lilly, Logan listens as Veronica explains her thoughts about her best friend, "I think she needed to control Duncan, her friends and…," she pauses and then finishes, "men because she felt so unhappy at home."

After another pause Veronica tells him, "Sometimes when I was with her she was so desperate, so needy, so hurt and I didn't know how to make her better."

Immediately Logan understands what Veronica is talking about. There were times he was with Lilly that she was frantic to have sex with him. It was different, darker than the fun, playful and exploring times they normally had together. He had never understood the depth of her emotions during those times; he had been physically satisfied but left worried about what she was feeling. She had always shut down after; refusing to share her thoughts and emotions with him. He had been insecure and accepted her rules.

After a long pause where both of them are thinking about Lilly, Logan says, "Before she died, I knew she was fooling around on me." Veronica waits to hear what he is thinking and is really surprised when he asks, "Did you know she was seeing Weevil?"

"Weevil Navarro?" she questions obviously not really believing it.

Logan lets a little anger show through as he tells her about how he and Weevil got detention and then when they were painting the school, he saw the tattoo on his shoulder. He adds, "He said he has a little sister named Lilly but…"

Although he can't see it, Veronica is shaking her head as she thinks about what Logan is telling her. Finally she says, "He doesn't have a sister named Lilly."

She pauses and then says, "I don't know if she was seeing him or how long it went on if he had a tattoo with her name…."

Finally she says, "Some of it makes sense." She goes on to tell him how when the school turned against her, inexplicitedly he protected her even though she didn't know him and he didn't even seem to want to talk to her. She finishes, "Maybe he was doing it for Lilly."

As he thinks about it, it makes sense. Weevil wouldn't just protect her for no reason and, although Logan thinks Weevil is interested in Veronica now, he really doesn't see him as being interested in the long haired, sweet ex-girlfriend of Duncan Kane.

Veronica recovers and says, "I can't really see Weevil and Lilly together but I guess I only thought of her with you."

"I look back and I can see that Lilly and I weren't good for each other. Maybe we were a little too alike. Maybe neither of us was good for anyone." He finishes, "Who knows?"

Unsure how to feel about the conversation, Veronica agrees, "I wish Duncan and I ended better but I can see now that we weren't good for each other either."

Logan ventures, "Since Lilly died I haven't dated anyone I care about or who actually might care about me." He adds quietly, "I didn't want to deal with real emotions." There is a pause and he adds, "Until you."

Impossibly touched and a little scared, Veronica answers quietly, "Me either."

The young couple just hold their phones to their ears and listen to each other breath for a few minutes. Finally Veronica says, "It is late and we should both get some sleep. I'm sorry I called so late. I was thinking of you and just wanted to hear your voice."

"I am always happy to talk to you," he shares.

She teases, "Good answer. You are definitely a sweet talker."

Smiling he tells her, "Only to you."

Laughing she says, "Good night Logan. See you in the morning."

"Wait," he says, "Just one more question before I let you go to sleep."

Veronica, aware of the pitfall of what she agrees to says, "OK, shoot."

Smirking he asks, "What are you wearing?'

Laughing out loud she says, "That is for me to know and you to imagine."

Quietly he tells her, "I have a good imagination."

After she hangs up, he is still smiling as he closes his eyes and turns on his side. He wasn't kidding he thinks as he falls asleep thinking of what Veronica is wearing to bed; he does have a good imagination.

The next morning, with his plan in place, Logan heads to school early. Although he only got a few hours of sleep, he feels surprisingly rested this morning. He texted Meg to pick up Veronica and to make sure that she doesn't take her car to school. It wouldn't get a good idea for her car to be here on a day that the 09er girls may be planning revenge; she just got it back from the shop.

Logan parks and walks easily through the parking lot and into the school. He looks at his texts and sees that Dick understood what he is supposed to do, Meg is picking up Veronica and Casey and Jennifer are arriving in the front parking lot as planned. Walking through the corridor next to the gym and locker rooms, Logan ignores the attention he is getting as he walks down the hall towards Veronica's locker. The student athletes are understandably surprised to see him there; he doesn't even come to this part of the building when he has gym class.

Rounding the corner to the hallway where the M lockers are situated, Logan sees that Pam and Kim are already busy writing on Veronica's locker. Sure enough, Madison is the lookout. He notices that there are already quite a few students watching. 'Well,' he thinks as he walks purposefully towards the situation, 'if the 09er mean girls want to put on a show, they will definitely need the son of two actors in their production.' As if he is on a stage, he says his voice projecting, "Well what do we have here?"

The three girls turn and look at him in surprise. Madison, anticipating his arrival from the front parking lot, had not been looking down the east hallway. They all look a little guilty and worried to see him.

Confidently Logan walks from stage left and looks at what Pam and Kim have written on Veronica's locker so far. The audience can see that he is instantly angry as his face darkens and his posture stiffens.

Madison starts to talk and Logan cuts her off saying quietly but forcefully, "I told you three to leave Veronica alone."

"We all hate her," Madison, over her surprise, decides to take control of the situation.

The students watching see Logan wave away Madison's explanation. He steps closer to Madison and tells her firmly, "I don't care if you like her, I told you to leave her alone."

Madison puts her hands on her hips and informs him, "You can't tell me what to do."

He frowns at her and crosses his arms over his chest. Although his posture is angry, his tone is smooth and silkily, "Madison, you have already made two mistakes this morning." Putting up one finger he tells her, "You didn't leave Veronica alone like I told you to…" He puts up a second finger and continues, "And now you are taking me on."

His tone darkening, he finishes, "Don't make a third mistake by continuing this."

"The guys may listen to you but we don't have to," Madison tells him waving between her and the other 09er girls.

He steps a step closer and says, "Have it your way Madison." Straightening up to his full height he looks down at her and tells her angrily, "I don't want to see you at lunch or at any 09er parties. You don't exist to me anymore. You are out Madison."

When Madison starts to talk, Logan talks over her. He tells her, "There are worse things than being out." He adds threateningly, "If you don't back off, I will put a target on you like I did on Veronica." He looks at her disparagingly, "Somehow I doubt you will fare as well as Veronica did."

Dismissing Madison he turns his back on her and looks towards Pam and Kim who are still standing by Veronica's locker. "You shouldn't have followed Madison," he flatly tells them. They both visibly cower at Logan's obvious anger. He explains, "What you two need to decide is if you are going to be out with Madison or you are going to do the smart thing and back off right now."

Kim immediately caves and says, "I'm sorry Logan." Pam follows by putting her head down and not meeting Logan's gaze.

Logan tells the two upset girls, "You will clean this mess off Veronica's locker before she gets to school." He steps closer to them and looks them in the eye as he tells them, "Since you both love to write on lockers, you will write on your own lockers for a week." He adds as he looks at what they have written so far, "At least in your cases 'slut' is the truth."

He steps closer letting them see how serious he is. "You are both not allowed within fifty feet of Veronica for one week. If you don't follow my instructions to the letter, you will join Madison and be out for good." Waving to all the other students watching, Logan ends with, "And I will make the rest of your high school experience even worse than what Veronica went through last year."

Casey and Jennifer arrive to watch the end of the punishment. Logan turns to talk to Casey and bumps fists with him as if he had been having a pleasant conversation with some friends. On cue Casey tells his friend, "Logan, Veronica just arrived."

To everyone who is watching surprise, the tall leader of the 09ers smiles happily and says, "Excellent. I will go and meet her." He smiles at Casey and adds, "We are looking forward to your party on Friday."

Casey nods and says, "It should be fun." He ignores Madison and looks over at Kim and Pam and says pointedly, "Too bad you two are going to miss it."

Logan looks at Jennifer and asks, "I am going to order Chaos for lunch today. Do you have a request?"

Jennifer smiles at Logan and suggests, "All meat."

Logan puts his hand to his chest and says a little dramatically to Casey, "This one is a keeper."

Casey laughs at Logan's antics, puts his arm around Jennifer and they walk towards her locker. Logan turns towards the parking lot and walks off to meet his girlfriend.

The students waiting around Veronica's locker watch as Pam tells Madison she told her it was a mistake to take on Logan. Kim tells Madison that they don't want to be out like her. Madison angry spits out, "I am not out just because Logan says so." She adds vindictively before she walks off, "You two cowards are off the cheerleading squad."

When Madison is gone, Pam and Kim clean off Veronica's locker and leave quickly towards their own lockers.

Logan meets Veronica in front of the school. He lifts her up and swings her around. Meg laughs at the look on Veronica's face and at Logan's obvious exuberance to see his girlfriend. After he puts her down, he stops her immediate complaint by kissing her.

When he pulls back and looks down at her, she is smiling at him. She tilts her head and says, "Well good morning to you." Her look is appraising noting the dark circles under her boyfriend's eyes.

Smiling happily he comments, "I love to greet you."

He turns to Meg and says formally, "Good Morning Meg. You look beautiful this morning."

Meg smiles at Logan enjoying his good mood. She answers sweetly, "Good morning Logan."

He puts his arm around Veronica and walks with the two girls down the hallway towards their lockers. He asks Meg if she is going to be at lunch today and she tells him she is. Smiling at her, he tells her that he is ordering from Chaos's today and asks if she has a special request. Pleased that he is thinking of her, she smiles and tells him she likes Pepperoni the best. He puts his other arm around her and teases, "Your wish is my command."

Meg giggles at his silliness and they all ignore the looks they are getting from the other students.

Duncan, after receiving his text from Casey, walks to his locker just as the first bell rings. He ignores the greetings from Kim and Pam but does greet their boyfriends and the 09ers they are standing with. When Madison tries to talk to him, he acts like he can't hear her. When she persists, he slams his locker and looks at her coldly. "You were warned to leave Veronica alone. You didn't listen. You don't exist to me."

Madison stands in shock. Duncan Kane is defending Veronica Mars after all she did to him and his family. He is siding with Logan. She hurries to go and talk to Dick.

Peter standing at Kim's locker sees that Duncan is ignoring his girlfriend and Pam. He turns to Kim and asks, "What did you do?"

Seeing her boyfriend is upset, Kim starts to cry. She tells him what Madison asked her to do and how now she is out for a week because Logan discovered them. Tearfully she adds, "Madison says I am off the cheer team."

Immediately concerned, Peter hugs his girlfriend in sympathy. Looking up at her boyfriend she asks, "You are Logan's friend. Can't you talk to him? I was just following Madison's directions."

"I don't know," Peter muses as he watches Duncan talking to a few 09ers by his home room. "It seems like both Duncan and Logan are really protective of her now."

Veronica arrives at her clean locker and notices all the students standing around watching. Immediately she sees that this is more than the ordinary attention she gets alone and when she is with Logan. She frowns a little as she wonders why they are all there watching. It has been an odd morning. Meg showed up to bring her to school instead of Logan and was insistent that she drive. When Veronica pressed Meg she would only say that Logan asked her to drive her this morning. Veronica knows something is up but is not sure what. Used to watching for problems, she slowly opens her locker and is surprised when Logan reaches over and opens her locker confidently.

He leans down and says, "Don't worry. No one is pranking you."

Veronica looks up at Logan in question as she puts her afternoon books in her locker and makes sure she has the books she needs for her morning classes in her bag. Not wanting to discuss the issues he had this morning in front of everyone, he asks her when her dad is coming back.

Immediately happy that her father is coming home that day, Veronica talks about having to pick him up at the airport at six tonight. She smiles a little as she explains that her father will insist on them eating out in celebration of his catching the bad guy.

Stepping closer Logan lowers his voice and says suggestively, "I'll miss our alone time."

"Me too," she returns as she leans back against her closed locker and pouts, "I missed my real good morning kiss."

Logan is quick to respond leaning in and lowering his head to kiss her.

Out in the parking lot, Dick and Cassidy arrive as the second bell rings. Dick wasn't sure why Logan asked him to arrive this late but he hates school anyways so it isn't a big deal.

Well except that he had to listen to Beaver complain that he doesn't want to have a late excuse on his record. Dick just normally follows his best friend's directions knowing that in first period Logan will explain everything but he wonders why Logan would want him to arrive at the second bell and not answer his phone or texts this morning.

Luke is waiting for him and Dick knows that Logan sent him to talk to him. He wonders what is going on. When Dick gets out of his truck, Luke tells him Logan's message. Dick shakes his head commenting, "Dude, I wondered why Madison called me six times this morning."

Logan did talk with Dick during first period. "I warned her. She won't listen." He pauses and sighs, "It had to be done."

"She's my girlfriend," Dick complains and then adds; "Besides she's been putting out lately."

"You can do better," his friend tells him. He adds, "In fact I have a feeling that you are going to do much better on Friday night."

Puzzled, Dick looks at Logan and asks, "What do you mean?"

Logan reminds him, "Casey's party."

The tall blond smiles a little as he remembers the party but he doesn't understand what Logan means by 'doing better'. He looks at his friend in question.

Logan fills in the blanks for him, "You are newly single and Madison won't be there to run the girls interested in you off. Her posse won't be there to report back to her."

Dick nods as he follows what Logan is telling him. Logan finishes, "Now that Madison is out, there will be a bevy of 09er hotties looking to be seated at the head table and you, my friend, will be their ticket in."

Much happier now he understands what is going on, Dick bumps fists with Logan. He comments, "I put a lot of time and money into Madison."

Frowning Logan says, "She's a cold bitch." Logan looks over at the teacher for a few seconds and then looks back at his friend. He meets his gaze and says, "Trust me; it is so much better when the girl is warm."

Shocked Dick looks at his friend and sees that Logan cares about Veronica. He says, "Dude we're in high school. You are too young to be that tied up."

Logan shakes his head a little and says, "When you know, you know."

Dick and John were with Logan when Veronica came out of second period obvious upset. She had heard about the clash between Logan and the 09er girls over her. Cassidy and Duncan followed her out and stood there with a lot of the passing students watching the impending confrontation between Logan and Veronica.

After glaring at the other students to encourage them to leave, she put her hands on her hips and looked up at her boyfriend. Really unhappy, she firmly tells her boyfriend that she can handle the 09er girls and doesn't need or want his protection. Waving one arm, she tells him that she doesn't care what they think so the punishment was unnecessary.

The 09er guys watch with interest as Logan deals with an upset Veronica. None of them even know how to deal with any girl who is upset; but Veronica upset, is truly in a new category. She has a whole level of mad that most girls don't have. She can't be bought off with gifts and she can and does get revenge in her own indisputable way. Veronica Mars is a scary bitch! Watching as she waves her arms, many of them realize that the only reason that Veronica did not get revenge on the three spoiled 09er girls for all their pranks and comments was they didn't matter to her.

Seeing his girlfriend is genuinely angry, Logan steps close to her putting both his hands on her shoulders holding her there. He reassures her, "You are right in that they are not important and I know you can handle them."

He bends down a little to look her in the eyes and adds, "I didn't ask them to be nice to you or like you; just leave you alone."

Seeing his girlfriend is about to escalate their encounter, he says firmly, "Don't make an issue of this Veronica. I am going to protect you. That is something you can't change."

Reaching over he puts one hand behind her head and tilts it up so he can see her face and she can read his emotions. Quietly he tells her, "Believe me; I toned it down for you."

Seeing his resolve and the truth in his gaze, her anger dies. She doesn't like the gossip about her relationship with Logan and why he is protecting her but she knows that Logan is upset he didn't protect her after Lilly died and that he caused her so much pain. He is showing her that this time; he is not going to make that mistake again. She knows first hand from the Fab 4 and from her time in exile that Logan can be vengeful like no other so she has to accept that he did tone down his punishment; he is aware that she would not really want his protection. She sighs in acceptance and after a quick gaze at the 09er guys watching, she asks, "Walk me to class?"

Relieved that she understands his actions and although she is not happy about the whole situation she is going to accept his decision, he smiles at her and leans down to gently kiss her. "Of course," he tells her as he takes her hand and walks with her down the hall towards her next class. The guys follow and watch as Logan deliberately walks her down the art hallway forcing Kim to walk the long way to her next class to avoid them. The guys smirk at his behavior. Veronica is not as amused but lets his actions go for now.

Duncan watching the two of them interact really looks at them. He has to admit that Logan seems happier with her and he is glad that everyone is not hurting her anymore. He does not like that Logan is dating Veronica but he knows that Logan will treat her well. Deep inside he still wants to be with her and a part of him is sick that he thinks of his sister like a girlfriend. He planned to marry her someday and have children with her. Just thinking of that time causes a pain in his chest. Yet Logan is right. Veronica is his sister and even though she might never know it, he needs to develop a relationship with her. It is just really hard to see her and watch her date someone else. It is hard to talk to her and know that they can never be together. Now he is facing a future without Lilly and without the woman he loves; the two women who meant the most in the world to him. It seems like an empty, dark tunnel ahead.

Logan is really touched that Veronica is trusting his judgment and she is letting him show her what she means to him. He drops her off at her classroom; kissing her and then wishing her good luck in the Chess Tournament. She smiles at him and goes in. Duncan and Cassidy follow her in.

"Dude," Dick comments as he walks with Logan towards their class, "you are lucky you still have your balls."

Frowning Logan says, "Believe me I compromised. I would have done a lot worse if I didn't have to worry about upsetting Veronica." He heads into his classroom failing to notice the look the passes between Dick and John. They are shocked at how protective of his girlfriend Logan is and how Veronica backed down when Logan asked her to. Both of those situations demonstrate how committed to the relationship Logan and Veronica are.


	11. Chapter 11

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret.. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship and try to have a relationship with his sister. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love._

Veronica was in chess club during lunch and Logan sent her some pizza. With it he sent a cookie in the shape of a heart. The other students in the chess club watch as Veronica gets a girly smile when she opens the package containing the cookie. She gently puts the cookie in her messenger bag and opens the pizza. She doesn't offer to share with any of the other students; she just enjoys the pizza while she listens to her iPod and waits for the match to begin. It is clear; now that they would willingly talk to her, she wants nothing to do with them.

Logan, meanwhile, sat out on the Quad with Duncan, Dick, Cassidy, Luke, Meg, Casey and Jennifer. The school watched as Madison was not allowed to sit at any of the 09er tables. She tried talking to Dick and he ignored her. She left the Quad crying.

Peter talked to Logan during lunch about the punishment for his girlfriend. Obviously frustrated Logan comments, "If Veronica can leave them alone, why can't they leave her alone?"

Peter shrugs and tells him, "They hate her."

"Well Veronica is not fond of them either but they don't matter enough for her to bother with them," Logan returns. He shakes his head and asks, "Why does Veronica even matter to them? She doesn't want to talk to them, hang with them or even take their positions as top 09er girls."

Peter doesn't have an answer for Logan. He finally shrugs, "I don't know man. I just know that if it wasn't for Madison, Pam and Kim would leave Veronica alone."

Sighing audibly Logan tells his friend, "Hopefully they will see what their lives will be like this week if they don't leave Veronica alone." He looks Peter in the eyes and says, "Kim will be taking me on if she harasses Veronica again." Peter nods in understanding. He has known Logan for years. He is a 'live and let live' type guy for the most part. However if he thinks you are hurting someone he cares about, he will declare open season on you.

Logan is again waiting for Veronica when chess club finishes. Upon entering the classroom, he sees she is picking up the chess pieces and he smiles at her. When he gets closer, he hums, 'Another one bites the dust...' and Veronica has to smile at his manner.

She lifts her face for his kiss and flirts, "I will be glad when the Tournament is over. It is seriously cutting into my Logan time."

Amused, he notices that she doesn't say when she is eliminated. He can see that she expects to be in until the end. As he leans down to kiss her, he wonders how long she has been planning to teach the chess club a lesson. He kisses her briefly and when he pulls away he comments, "Well tomorrow is Friday so we will have the weekend together to make up for the enforced lunch time drudgery."

She looks over at the tournament schedule where her name has moved onto the next round and smirks, "There are some aspects I am enjoying."

Unsurprised that she is enjoying her revenge, he informs her, "I meant my lunchtime drudgery."

Touched at the way he is telling her he misses her, she leans up and kisses him gently and says quietly, "I'll be happy to make it up to you."

He immediately points out that he was really, really lonely at lunch. Laughing at his manipulative way, she wraps her arms around his neck and kisses her super hot, overprotective boyfriend.

The students left in the classroom cannot hear what is being discussed between the most talked about couple in the school but it is clear that Veronica is important to Logan. He has been very protective of his girlfriend and now he has publically drawn the line with the 09er girls who mistreat her. The chess club members are really uncomfortable when he is in the room with them. If he will take on the 09ers over Veronica, they have no doubt that he will not hesitate to squash them if he thinks they are mistreating his girlfriend.

Logan is smarter and more observant than most people realize. Like most students who mistreated Veronica, he knows the chess club members did not anticipate that she would end up dating him. Now he can see they are worried that he will be upset with them. Really they have nothing to worry about. They are already ignored by the 09ers so there isn't much more he can really do to hurt their social standing. Inwardly he smirks as he thinks about how Veronica is taking care of their punishment anyways. They should have been more worried about her.

He helps her pack up the rest of the chess pieces and watches her put them away in the cabinet. Then he walks out the door with her talking about the gossip he heard at lunch. The students hear her laughter at whatever he is telling her as they walk down the hall together. They are in their own little world when they are together; other people don't seem to exist to them.

Today at Neptune High the gossip is mainly about Logan Echolls and Madison Sinclair. It had been obvious that Madison grossly overestimated her power as the top 09er girl. This morning she had challenged Logan Echolls. Truthfully it had not been much of a battle; more like a skirmish. Logan had confidently banished Madison and his position had been immediately backed by Duncan Kane and then Dick Cassablancas. At lunch Madison was not allowed to sit at any of the 09er tables and she had left the school crying. Interestingly Veronica had been upset with her boyfriend but he had outright told her in front of everyone that he was going to protect her and she had to accept that.

Although surprised and secretly a little pleased that Logan was defending her, Veronica really didn't care what the 09er girls said and did to her. She had more pressing pans in the fire. Lilly's investigation was on her mind and she was waiting for the results of the paternity test she sent. Also recently Meg asked her to look into who her secret admirer might be.

Logan was also busy. He was on a fact finding mission on the ten non 09er students who harassed Veronica the most. Logan needs to know more about them as, although revenge is a dish best served cold, it is also more effective if it is directed personally and he intends for them to be punished hard.

After school Logan drove Veronica to her apartment to get her car. She was going to go to the office for a few minutes to answer the phone messages and check the mail. Then she was going to go and get her father.

Logan was going surfing with the guys and then over to the Kane's to spend some time with Duncan. He and his best friend had agreed to meet to plan the revenge on the non 09er students who bothered Veronica. In addition, Logan was going to have dinner with Duncan's parents. He hasn't seen them in a long time. It should be interesting to see how they react to the news he is dating Veronica. He knows they might not like Veronica because of what her father did but he also knows that Jake let his son and daughter date and let Veronica's life be decimated even though she is his biological daughter. Logan, in a tribute to Lilly, is going to make Duncan's parents very uncomfortable tonight.

Veronica looks up from her messenger bag and out the window of the vehicle. She frowns a little and points out, "You missed my exit."

"I thought we would go to Amy's first." Smiling at her he says, "I have a craving for ice cream."

Her answering smile is instantaneous, "You have good ideas."

When he drops Veronica off at her apartment, he leans over and kisses her. He is really pleased at how easily she returns his kisses and hugs. He likes that she also initiates the touches and kisses between them as well. He needs her to be really comfortable with him. He is going to slowly increase their physical relationship until she is ready to be with him totally. She is a very passionate person and he looks forward to when she is open to them physically. He is going to make it good for her; she really deserves some good memories about sex. Until then he is going to savor each and every moment between them. He feels so much for her. Slowly but surely, he is going to win Veronica Mars.

When she pulls away he takes her face in his hands and gently kisses her forehead, then her eyes, nose and cheeks. When he gets to her mouth she is smiling. Pulling away he looks down at her enjoying her happy expression. Gently teasing he says, "I love watching your 'ice cream high' face."

Her smile grows and she looks at him retorting, "You don't know me at all." Pointing to her face she explains, "This is my 'going to Luigi's for dinner' face."

Pretending to be hurt he retorts, "I thought it might be your 'my boyfriend is so hot' face."

Laughing she reaches over and pulls his face towards her and kisses him. After a few seconds she turns her head a little and deepens the kiss teasing his lips with her tongue.

Immediately Logan responds opening his mouth and meeting her tongue with his. The feelings flare between them and Logan lifts Veronica over the console into his arms and then reaches over and moves his seat back giving them more room.

Breaking their kiss Logan kisses across her cheek to her ear and then nuzzles behind her ear. Veronica runs one hand up his shoulder to his neck and the other wraps around him to his back.

Deciding to move their physical relationship along a little, Logan gently and slowly slides his hand under her raised top and caresses her abdomen. At the same time he kisses down her neck and suckles and then licks at the spot on her neck that makes her breath hitch and her eyes roll back in her head. He enjoys her response to his touch as she gets goose bumps on her skin and her head falls back giving him more room to kiss her neck.

He goes no further with his caresses. He fully intends to show her the really good aspects of a physical relationship but he is not going to scare her or upset her. No, he is going to make her want him. He is going to slowly get her ready emotionally and physically. He is going to show her he can be the guy she needs.

This time when his hand caresses close to her bra, he runs his hand around her bra to the back and gently runs his hand over her back and bra. He kisses her slowing the kisses down and just enjoying having her in his arms. Although he can't wait to be inside her; he finds he really likes to hold Veronica and have her hold him.

He walks her to the door of her apartment and leaves her there while he goes surfing. The waves are supposed to be good today and he is looking forward to the physical activity as well as seeing his friends; especially Duncan. DK is slowly coming out of 'zombie land' and Logan feels like he is getting his best friend back; it is a good feeling at a time he desperately needs good things in his life.

Logan sits on his board taking a break while he watches his friends surf. He feels pleasantly tired and despite the mess his life is in right now, he is having a pretty good day. His thoughts drift to the petit blond and he wonders if she is on her way to the airport to pick up her father. He knows the 09er guys don't understand why he is dating Veronica but now that he has had a taste of dating someone who cares for and about him, he wants it more than he has ever wanted anything. Veronica is smart, sexy and sassy but most of the 09er guys are put off by the fact she is challenging and smart. Logan has never dealt with a strong woman before. His mother and Lilly had issues. Lilly may have led the Fab 4 and the 09ers with the force of her status and personality but deep inside she was an insecure, unloved little girl looking for attention. Lilly shone; she had a zest for life that was a draw to those around her but now that he has had time and distance from his relationship with Lilly and the Fab 4, he can see that Veronica was the unofficial leader. She kept the group on the right path and she was able to give Lilly the love and stability she desperately craved. Logan, young and blinded by Lilly's light had not seen the pain and insecurity inside his girlfriend. He had not understood why she so ferociously hung onto Veronica as her best friend. He had not understood Duncan's devotion to her when he could have any girl in the school. He had not seen the real Veronica; he did now.

In one of life's ironies, his father, in his quest to repair his damaged public image, decided to send him to a counselor. Logan had been angry and refused but faced with his father's threats, he had gone. Logan had a very negative attitude when he met Mrs. Cartwright. He planned to only sit and ignore her for the hour he was mandated to be there but ended up having a pretty nice conversation with her. She was actually pretty amazing! She began by assuring him that everything they said was confidential even from his father but he had not really believed her. She told him that they could talk hypothetically and he had smirked at her knowingly but still said nothing. Finally she noticed his interest in a book she had on her desk and showed it to Logan. It was the latest book by an author Logan liked and they got into a basic discussion about the author and his other books. Logan, stimulated by a fellow reader, had opened up a little about why he liked the author's writing style and Mrs. Cartwright had actually teased him about being a book junkie.

They discussed the author's last book about a man who was so damaged inside that he sabotaged his future. It was a dark book that looked into the lack of humanity in men. The main character ended up with three failed marriages, children who didn't know him and disliked him and an unsatisfying job. Logan actually enjoyed the conversation and the discussion he had with her about how people cope and how they react to situations based on their past experiences was really interesting. When he left he found that he was OK with the conversation and wasn't upset about going back the next week.

Once he had more time to think about his conversation with her, he felt like he could understand Lilly and perhaps himself a little better. When asked, he told his father that Mrs. Cartwright was a nice woman. His father had been pleased that Logan had a better attitude about going to see a counselor. Of course Trina had laughed at him.

Friday morning Logan picks Veronica up and she is obviously happy to see him. When she asks about surfing and how the rest of his evening went, he happily tells her about how great the waves were and how he enjoyed spending time with Duncan. He adds casually, "I had dinner with Jake and Celeste after."

He pretends not to notice the way her body stiffens when he mentions them and he carries on, "They were surprised that you and I are dating."

A little darkly she mutters, "I bet they were."

Her boyfriend smiles a little as he remembers how disconcerted Jake was that Logan is now dating his other daughter but he couldn't say anything about it. Logan had teased Duncan about how Veronica was ahead of him in the class standings and Duncan had actually smiled and joined in Logan's unspoken plan to upset his parents. He comments, "I hope she gets enough scholarships to go to college now her dad isn't Sheriff anymore."

Logan is actually watching Jake while he pretends to be focused on his meal sees Jake is unhappy at the thought that Veronica may not attend college because Keith Mars lost his job as Sheriff. Frowning in agreement Logan says, "That apartment she and Mr. Mars live in is not in the safest neighborhood and he leaves town to catch bail jumpers."

Duncan seeing his opportunity to further dig at his father teases his best friend, "Does her overprotective, gun-toting father know he is leaving his daughter alone with you when he leaves town?"

Mock frowning at his friend's dig, Logan answers, "Mr. Mars always liked me."

Truly amused at the thought of his best friend getting the 'how I expect my daughter to be treated lecture' from Mr. Mars, Duncan tells Logan, "You weren't dating Veronica before."

Frowning now for real, Logan slowly says, "I always thought you were joking about how afraid of the Sheriff you were."

Duncan sobered and looked at his friend stating, "I know what you mean. I still think of him as Sheriff as well."

Logan noticed that both Jake and Celeste looked unhappy at the change in topic. He said, "I know that Mr. Mars deserved to be removed as Sheriff but Lamb is such a tool. Crime is really increasing with him in charge."

Nodding in agreement Duncan adds, "At least Mr. Mars kept the rest of the city safe."

Logan had been a little surprised to see how uncomfortable Jake was with the conversation. Celeste had just looked even colder when he mentioned Mr. Mars losing his job.

The rest of the meal went better as Logan brought up how well the soccer team was doing. Logan knows that if Lilly were watching from above, she would have loved the scene that he and DK caused at supper.

Turning his attention back to his girlfriend, Logan asks how her father is and how dinner was. Veronica's face immediately lights up and she tells him about how they ate at Luigi's and she had the manicotti.

He asks teasingly, "What dessert did you order?"

Frowning she admits, "Key lime pie."

Laughing he says, "I like the key lime pie there."

Nodding emphatically she agrees, "It is so good!"

They have a nice quiet day at school. Veronica doesn't have chess club so they eat lunch together at her table. Logan is surprised when he receives Veronica's text not to order lunch because she has it handled. When she arrives at his locker holding a package, she tells him it contains their lunch. At the table she opens the package and brings out a Tupperware container. He watches interested as she lifts the lid and shows him the contents. He sees that it is Mrs. Navarro's tamales. Smiling happily he takes the napkin she hands him and takes a tamale to eat.

Seeing his happy expression, she smiles as well telling him, "I know they are your favorite. I called and Mrs. Navarro agreed to make them for you." The truth is the Echolls' housekeeper, worried about Logan after his mother's suicide, was more than happy to make them for him. She had the Echolls' driver bring them to the school right out of the oven in time for lunch. She also sent some waters and two pieces of her famous double chocolate cake.

Veronica is pleased that she is able to look after Logan a little. He is outwardly coping well with the loss of his mother but she knows that he is still really hurting inside. She can see he is not sleeping that well. Deep inside she is concerned and surprised how much she wants to be with him and help him through this rough time. She has been hidden inside her protective walls since Lilly died and she is a little worried at how Logan is able to effortlessly get behind those walls and get to her; he is getting close to her and that means he will be able to hurt her. She is not sure she can risk herself like that again. He has already proven he can and will hurt her. It is just so hard to hold herself away when he touches her so gently and when he looks at her with those soft brown eyes. She wants to trust him; she really does.

Duncan sits beside Meg and sees that Veronica brought tamales for Logan. He sighs a little as he remembers how caring she was when they dated. Turning his attention to Meg he sees that she is showing the girls at the table, the bracelet she got from her secret admirer. He keeps his expression neutral but is pleased that Meg likes his gift. She is really a sweet person.

The school watches as Logan and Veronica eat lunch and talk. They have this weird way of focusing totally on each other when they are together. They flirt, cuddle and touch like normal couples but there is a deeper connection between them.

Veronica gets Logan to talk about how he is doing at home and school. Then she asks about how he is feeling about the next meeting with his counselor and is surprised to find out that he actually enjoyed talking to her about the last book they both read. He tells Veronica that he read the next book in the series and hopefully will talk to her about that when they meet. He adds a little contemplatively, "I get why she wanted to talk about the book. The main character makes a lot of bad decisions in his life and at the very end tries to make amends but it is really too late."

She swallows the bite of her tamale and comments, "A good book will make you think."

Nodding in agreement Logan says, "I think she wants me to think about the choices I have to make." He adds quietly, "Actually I like to talk to her but I don't want to talk about my life or feelings with her."

Looking around to make sure that no one can overhear she leans into Logan and shares, "My parents made me see a counselor after Lilly died."

Surprised he asks, "How did it go?"

Frowning a little as she tries to word how she feels about the experience, she slowly shares, "Well I just couldn't explain how I felt about Lilly." Shrugging she says, "I guess I am not good at expressing my feelings."

"No," he disagrees, "I think it is just Lilly."

When she looks up at him in question he elaborates, "When I tell you something Lilly said or did, you understand the whole context. When I tell you she was just being Lilly, you know what I mean." Brushing her hair back behind her ear he concludes, "I really only talk to you or DK about Lilly."

A little excited she says, "That's how I feel. It is no use talking about Lilly to anyone else because they wouldn't understand."

Logan raises his hand and cups her cheek tilting her face up to his. Meeting her gaze he says openly and honestly, "I am so sorry how I treated you after Lilly died. You didn't deserve it and I can see now how wrong I was."

She tries to lower her face but Logan holds her in place. Instead, she moves her gaze away from his. Very slowly and gently he caresses her lip with his thumb and says, "Ronnie, please look at me."

Her eyes are liquid pools of blue when she looks up at him and he feels a jolt in his chest at the pain he sees in them. Softly he says, "I promise you I will never let you down like that again."

Unsure what to say, she bites her lip a little. He vows, "I know you don't trust me now but I will earn your trust again."

He runs his hand over to the back of her head and threads his hand through the hair there gently massaging her neck. Quietly he leans closer and holds her gaze. "Please just give me a chance to show you I can be there for you."

Very quietly she admits, "I want to. I am just afraid."

He leans his forehead to hers and tells her, "I only want to protect you now." Nuzzling his cheek against hers he says, "I know I don't deserve it but I want to be your boyfriend; I want us to be a real couple."

Pulling a way a little, he looks down at her and asks, "Do you want that too?" The few seconds she takes to answer feel like an eternity to the young man waiting for her response.

He is truly relieved when she nods. Logan leans in and gently kisses her, showing her his happiness that she is giving their relationship a chance. Pulling away he lessens the tension stating, "Now how about you get me my chocolate cake woman."

Smiling at his macho manner she teases, "Who said the second piece was for you?"

Arrogantly he says, "Oh I know Mrs. Navarro sent it for me."

Mock frowning she opens his Tupperware container and hands him a fork. He takes a bite and gets an almost wondrous looks on his face.

Smiling she opens her container and picks up her fork. Sometimes men are so easy.

That evening he picks her up to go to Casey's party. Veronica had been reluctant to go but finally agreed when Logan pulled her into his arms and told her they would be going to lots of parties and places together. He would look after her and she will look after him. He adds sweetly, "It is one of the perks of being in a relationship."

Veronica's father was happy she was going out but not excited that she is dating Logan. However when he gave Logan his standard lecture about how Veronica needs to be treated and the dangers of drinking and driving, he is shocked at how the tall young man became immediately and unmistakably protective. Keith, needing to think about this development, changes the subject and asks Logan about school.

Logan gives a quiet appreciative whistle when Veronica comes out ready for the party. She is wearing a green skirt with a pink and white top that has a small ruffle at the neck. It is a lot more feminine than she usually wears and she has partnered it with a pretty green and white necklace and earring set. Her finger and toe nails are a matching pink. She has on white sandals. She looks put together and very beautiful.

Blushing a little at his obvious approval she quietly says, "Thank you."

Logan walks her to his car and twirls her around once just before they reach her passenger door. She giggles at his actions and gets in the car when he opens the door. Logan has his stereo on a popular music station and a new song by an artist they both like comes on during the drive to Casey's house. They both decide they like the song and they discuss possibly going to the concert when the group comes to LA.

Walking up the driveway into the party, Logan talks to Veronica about how his father is still adamant about retiring and how his sister is trying to get him to read a script from her new producer boyfriend.

Frowning a little she puts her arm around his waist and leans into him. She comments, "I really hope your sister gets a juicy part in a movie."

Wrapping his arm around her Logan comments surprised, "Really?"

"Yes," she answers easily.

Leaning down and kissing the top of her head, he says, "May I ask what is bringing on this somewhat surprising positive wish for my not-by-blood sister?"

Veronica looks up innocently at Logan. "All have you know I am full of good wishes for others."

Snorting in amusement and disbelief Logan intones, "Yes, that is definitely you…always hoping for positive things for others."

Playfully Veronica tickles his side laughing as he pulls away from her torment. Logan chases her down when she runs catching her at the front door and lifting her into his arms.

Her eyes sparkling and her smile wide, Veronica wraps her arms around his neck and looks down at her amused boyfriend. She sobers a little as he slides her down his body and holds her closely in his arms. Pushing his hair off his forehead she explains, "If Trina gets a major role, we can always hope that it films in Australia or maybe New Zealand."

Logan enjoys her touch and the fact that she can be protective of him at times. Impulsively he pulls her even closer and kisses her, deepening the kiss when she eagerly responds.

Neither teenager hears the door open but they slowly pull apart when John says, "Why don't you two just get a room now and save yourselves some time?"

Sliding his arm around the petit blond Logan completely ignores his friend and says, "Come on Ronnie. Casey always has plenty of good drinks, good food and good music. What do you say we have some well deserved fun?"

He puts his hand on her back and encourages her to walk ahead of him into the house. As they walk towards the kitchen, Logan looks over his shoulder and says, "John, why don't you go and find some unsuspecting female to use your wit on?"

John laughs unaffected by his friend's annoyance. He answers before he heads off towards the patio area, "I'll do that."

Leading his girlfriend into the kitchen area where the drinks are kept, Logan is determined that they both have fun tonight. Their relationship has some hurtles for them to get over. It is important that they have a lot of good times together; good memories and feelings to help them ride out the unhappy times that will undoubtedly come.

He hands her an unopened drink and takes the beer that Dick handed him. Dick, already quite drunk, leers a little at Veronica loudly exclaiming, "Ronnie, you look hot tonight!"

"You're wrong." Logan answers as he smiles down at his girlfriend, "She looks super hot!" He nods towards the loud music coming from the living room, "I'll show you my best dance moves."

Smiling at his obvious happiness to be with her, she teases, "For a second there I thought you were going to say etchings."

Laughing he takes a sip of his drink as they walk together. Half seriously he offers, "Anytime you want to see my etchings, let me know." Leaning down her whispers in her ear, "It is a closed gallery. I'll arrange a private showing for you though."

She tilts her head and looks up at him answering, "That is a very tempting offer."

Gazing at her, he says, "It is an open ended offer."

"I appreciate that," she tentatively tells him.

They are interrupted when the DJ plays a request from Casey to Jennifer. Logan smiles as he watches Jennifer and Casey dance together. Wrapping his arm around Veronica, he leans in and kisses her temple.

They watch the couples dancing for a few minutes and each sip their drink. When a fast song comes on, he takes her drink from her, sets it down on a nearby table and pulls her onto the dance floor telling her, "Prepare to be overwhelmed by my dancing prowess."

Laughing at him she willingly follows him onto the already crowded dance area. They dance well together. Logan enjoys watching her move to the music. She and Lilly both liked to dance and he used to like watching them dance together. Lilly was more free with her body but Veronica was more in sync with the beat.

When a slow song comes on, Logan pulls Veronica close and rests his chin on top of her head and they move together. Veronica happily wraps her arms around his neck and moves with Logan to the music. At the end of the romantic song she looks up at her boyfriend and is touched to see his eyes are soft and loving.

A few hours later Veronica is sitting by herself out by the pool watching some of fellow classmates, many inebriated, have a diving contest. She has to admit this has been a fun party. They danced, played pool, ate some great food and just generally hung out like normal teenagers do. Most everyone treated her nicely but deep inside she doesn't want to deal with them. When she looks at their faces she sees the teenagers who played pranks on her and called her names. When she looks at the guys she really wonders if they were one of the guys who raped her. She can't wait to get away from Neptune and go to college. She will know that none of the guys there hurt her and she won't give them the chance to.

Logan's belief that she is a virgin is more important than he knows. She could see that he doesn't know she was raped. He is being so careful and gentle with her; letting their physical relationship develop slowly. It means so much to her that he respects her. He and Lilly were very open sexually and she is worried that she will disappoint him with her lack of experience and her fears. Yet he cares about her, she can see that. He says he wants a chance to be her boyfriend and prove to her he is a good partner for her. She wants to give him that chance; she really does.

Logan finds her sitting on a lounger by the pool and is immediately worried that she is alone and very quiet at an obviously rocking party. Looking carefully he sees that she is not upset so he says, "Here is where you are hiding."

Shaking her head she answers, "Not hiding. I just wanted some quiet time." Smiling up at her boyfriend she moves over and pats the lounger beside her and flirts, "I was waiting for a handsome, sexy man to find me."

Smiling back he says, "I was looking for the most beautiful girl at the party." He lies down beside her and puts his arm around her finishing, "And here you are."

Happy to hold and be held by her man she snuggles into his side, puts her head on his chest and wraps her arm around him.

After a few minutes Dick comes out to the pool and decides to join in the diving contest. Logan laughs hard as he watches his friend's clumsy struggle with his shorts. He ends up pulling off his boxers with them before he drunkenly climbs the ladder to the diving board.

Veronica buries her face in Logan's shirt trying to erase the image from her mind of Dick bouncing naked on the diving board.

Logan knows that Dick has been having a great time tonight. As he predicted, the 09er girls do see Dick as their way to the top and have been giving him a lot of attention.

After the show is over and Dick has pulled his shorts back on leaving his boxers by the pool, Veronica says mournfully, "My eyes, they burn!"

Laughing Logan says, "Let's go inside. I'll make you a Cherry Bomb."

Looking at her boyfriend, she says, "I am not sure that is a good idea."

Reassuring he says, "I'll make it light." He adds, "Besides I am not drinking anymore. I will take care of you."

Looking back at Dick as he talks to some of his friends, she comments, "I am not sure there is enough alcohol in the world."

Amused Logan stands and helps his girlfriend out of the lounger. He says, "A drink and then we should dance some more. I think the dance floor is getting less crowded."

Tilting her head at him she teases, "Is this just an excuse to pretend to drunkenly grope me?"

Smiling at her he answers, "Yes it is."

"In that case, let's go," she says as she nods towards the house. Pleased at her teasing he puts his arm over her shoulder and pulls her into his side.

Lying in bed that night, Veronica thinks about how great Logan was at the party. He drank but stopped drinking early enough to drive them home. He was careful to watch over her but not overly attentive as to smother her. They had a great time; ordinary, teenaged, couple time. She hadn't realized how much she missed that.


	12. Chapter 12

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship and try to have a relationship with his sister. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love._

The following week goes smoothly for the new couple. Kim and Pam finish out their punishment and have no contact with Veronica or Logan. Madison is now learning a harsh but true lesson in life; what goes around, comes around. Unsurprisingly, the students at Neptune High who she treated with distain are not inclined to befriend her now she is not part of the popular group in the school. She is now receiving the treatment she so gleefully and unhesitantly dished out to others. Rumors around the school are that the cheerleaders are having a vote to see if Madison will remain as captain and that Madison is transferring to an expensive private school in LA.

Although part of Veronica understands what Madison is going through and feels badly for her; another part of Veronica is happy that Madison is getting back a small portion of the treatment she received from the stuck up, bitchy blond over the years.

Walking down the hall with Logan, Veronica sees Madison's locker is decorated. In tune to her mood he notices that she is upset at the treatment Madison is receiving. He is surprised and a little impressed at how she is worried about the girl who led the mistreatment against her. He gets her attention by lifting their joined hands and gently kissing the back of her hand. Quietly he points out, "Ronnie, she only had to leave you alone and she couldn't do that. If I hadn't intervened she would be spending her days planning how to hurt you and to torment you." He adds, "She doesn't deserve a second of your worry."

Veronica meets his gaze and nods. Looking back at the locker as they walk away she comments, "It's just I know how it feels."

Logan lets go of her hand and wraps his arm around her waist pulling her close to him as they walk. He meets her gaze. His brown eyes are open and soft as he tells her, "I am not instigating any mistreatment of her." Shrugging his shoulders he adds, "I think she is reaping what she sowed."

Nodding in understanding and agreement Veronica leans a little into Logan liking how intuitive and supportive he is to her moods. Although Veronica didn't feel she needed Logan's help with the 09er girls, she has to admit it is better for her at school not having to listen to their distain of her.

The result of Kim, Pam and Madison's punishment is that Logan's leadership is no longer in doubt; the 09ers and the rest of the school fall into line regarding his wishes on how Veronica is to be treated.

The other gossip around the school is that Logan Echolls has changed; he is quieter now. He no longer torments other students and he doesn't join in the 09ers distain of everyone who is not an 09er. He is still the spoiled son of Aaron Echolls who thinks because of an act of birth he deserves special entitlements; but there is a definite change in him. He listens more in class, gets his assignments in on time and although he still ignores any student that is not an 09er, he does not actively mistreat anyone who doesn't get in his way first. He also stops the 09er guys from mistreating other students if he is around. The mood between the have and have nots of the school is shifting just a little. Some of the students think it is because of his mother's suicide. Others think it is because he is dating Veronica Mars and she has influenced him. Whatever the reason, the fact is Logan is not as big a psychotic jackass as he used to be and that in itself is worthy of talk in the school.

_Lunch on Wednesday_

Logan was truly amused upon entering Mr. Ball's classroom after lunch. He immediately sees an obviously upset student appealing to Mr. Ball as Veronica is gathering the chess pieces to put them away. Looking at the tournament schedule on the wall Logan notices that a kid named Brian Jones was the number one ranked player going into the tournament and by defeating him; Veronica is the victor of Pool A. The following day she will be playing the winner of Pool B for the Neptune High Championship and the honor of representing the school at the City Tournament.

Openly smirking as he walks past Brian and Mr. Ball, Logan goes over and hugs his girlfriend congratulating her on her win. He pronounces, "I knew you could do it."

Looking up at her boyfriend, she says dismissively, "It wasn't that hard."

Not even attempting to keep his voice quiet, Logan questions, "Did you even let him win a game?"

He sees immediately that she didn't and he grins at her. Frowning a little as she looks up at Logan, she tells him sagely, "Winning is only half of it. Having fun is the other half." She adds, "Burn Phillips."

Logan's smile widens and he observes, "I don't think your opponent was having fun." He adds teasingly, "I think that was the fun part for you though, wasn't it?"

Putting her hand to her chest she comments a little dramatically, "That doesn't sound like me."

Laughing out loud he steps closer and asks, "Dinner tonight to celebrate?"

Smiling up at her boyfriend she purses her lips and agrees, "I am always up for dinner with you."

Logan leans down and kisses her gently. When he pulls away she opens her eyes and meets his gaze. He reads her satisfaction that her plan for the Chess Club is coming together. He is not kidding that he finds her even more attractive when she is manipulating. She looks good today in dark jeans, her normal black boots and a navy t shirt that says, 'Stupid has a U in it.' The jeans hug her hips and buttocks nicely and make her legs look long and lean. Her t shirt is tight and showcases her flat abdomen and tiny waist. He walks over to the door and waits for her to put the chess pieces in the cabinet. When she walks over to where he is standing he comments loudly enough for Mr. Ball and Brian to hear, "I guess you aren't the bottom ranked player anymore."

Neither of them looks back to see the reaction to Logan's verbal shot. The king of the 09ers takes his girlfriend's hand telling her that his father wants her to come over for dinner tomorrow night. He adds, "He's trying out a new recipe he learned in cooking class."

Mr. Ball doesn't hear Veronica's answer to Logan's invitation. He sighs as he tells Brian there is nothing he can do to help him. Veronica beat him and he is out of the tournament.

Logan finds that the more time he spends with Veronica, the more impressed he is. He didn't even realize how much she manipulates or how really gifted she is at planning. He knew she was smart as she is at the top of their class; he just didn't understand how clever she is. He guesses part of it is that she doesn't take credit for what she does. She doesn't brag or even gloat about how she is paying back the Chess Team for how they treated her. When thinking back to the bad things that happened to the 09ers, they only suspected Veronica; she never admitted to it. She has never outwardly admitted to putting the bong in his locker either; he just knows it was her. He wonders how many negative things happened to the 09ers and they didn't even attribute it to payback; they thought it was bad luck. Now that he is dating her, a lot of people she helped have talked to him assuming he is aware of their situation. He has come to realize that she carefully works in the background whether assisting as a teenage PI or delivering well deserved payback. He thinks that he is seeing a little of what Lilly saw in her years ago. Lilly was right in that there is more to Veronica Mars than people knew. She is not cotton candy pink; she just might be red satin.

Logan has been telling Duncan the things he is learning about Veronica. It turns out they were both unaware of her actions. He and Duncan decide to take a page from her book in their quest to deliver some sharp payback to the non 09ers who hurt Veronica. Slowly over the next couple of weeks, each of the guys who made a career of verbally and sexually harassing Veronica is going to have his punishment delivered in spectacular fashion. He and DK are going to enjoy it but stay in the background. Veronica may suspect, the other 09ers may suspect and the school may suspect but no one will know for sure who delivered the punishment.

To Logan's surprise, Duncan was keen to help. He was the one who suggested that they take no credit. At first Logan thought it was his best friend's way of staying out of trouble or the spotlight but Duncan explained that the person on the receiving end of the payback and the rest of the school would not be sure who delivered the punishment. That alone would increase the gossip.

To Duncan's way of thinking no one could be sure that Veronica was not delivering the payback and her reputation would increase as someone not to mess with. The students targeted could not get Veronica back because she was protected. If they suspected Logan and Duncan, the message would still be delivered.

The more Logan thought about it, the more he realized that Duncan was right. The recipient of the punishment would be spectacularly embarrassed and the sharks of the school would circle on him like they did on Veronica. The rumors would have the student targeted by Veronica, DK or him; the student would be persona non gratis. All done without Logan, Duncan or Veronica appearing to get their hands dirty. It was actually quite perfect and true poetic justice.

_Thursday morning_

Veronica can see that Logan is upset. Instead of letting go after their morning greeting, she keeps her arms wrapped around him looking up to gauge his mood. Logan looks down at her in surprise and then immediately sees that she is taking a few seconds to assess how he is doing. Touched, he smiles at her and tells her, "You know I used to tease you and DK about how when you greeted each other you always took a few seconds to see how the other was doing." Putting his fingers up in quotation marks he says, "Puppy Love".

She nods and smiles a little at the memory. Sobering she tilts her head a little as she looks at how tired her boyfriend looks and how he seems restless this morning. She points out, "Lilly didn't like when I did it with her."

"No," he agrees a little sarcastically, "Lilly liked her secrets."

Veronica nods her head and then reaches up to put her hand over Logan's heart. Quietly she tells her boyfriend, "The question is: How secretive are you?" Gently she caresses his chest and finishes, "Do you want to talk about what is bothering you this morning?'"

When he is quiet for a few seconds she pats his chest and reassures him, "You don't have to talk about it. Just know that I am here if you want to talk."

When she goes to pull her hand away, he puts his hand over hers and tells her how his sister asked him for money to help produce her boyfriend's play. Shrugging he says, "I refused of course."

Nodding in understanding she stays quiet waiting to hear what upset him. She is well aware of Trina's pendent for picking guys who are using her to get to Aaron or for her money.

Logan continues talking about how last night he ran into his sister in the kitchen and she had a black eye and was limping.

Horrified Veronica inquires, "What did she say about her injuries?"

Openly upset Logan talks about how she wouldn't tell him for sure who hit her and wouldn't tell him her boyfriend's name.

Thinking about the problem Veronica absently rubs Logan's chest soothingly. Finally she says, "Didn't she say her boyfriend was producing a play?"

Nodding he watches her as she thinks. Veronica says, "If you get me the name of the play, I can find out who is producing it. Then after school I can look him up on my dad's PI site."

Pleased that he might find out who is hitting his sister, Logan clenches his fist and says, "Good because I plan on returning the favor."

The petit blond takes his hand and unclenches his fist. She says, "I understand wanting to get payback but beating him up is not the answer." She lectures, "You will end up in the tabloids or jail."

He frowns at her and she gently teases him out of his anger, "Look at you all protective."

Holding his hand in hers she pulls him towards the stairs saying, "Between us, we can devise a much better payback for this loser." As she looks back at Logan she adds smirking, "Something that will hurt longer than a few bruises."

"It wouldn't be a few bruises," he darkly points out.

Shaking her head she says, "Sometimes I think I am dating a caveman." As they walk down the stairs she tells her upset boyfriend, "True revenge is a thinking game." Adopting a gangster tone of voice she adds, "Stick with me. With your money and my brains, this jerk will pay for what he did to your sister."

He lets a little of his anger go. She is so incredibly cute when she is planning evil. His girl is a genius at plotting revenge. She is going to help him find the guy who beat his sister and then help him teach the guy not to hit women. Although he is too smart to tell her out loud, payback may also involve a punch from Trina's brother.

At lunch Logan watched Veronica lose in straight games to the winner of Pool B. Ernie is a freshman and new to the team. He is not a skilled player and it is obvious that he is shocked that he beat Veronica so easily. Logan can see that Mr. Ball didn't immediately understand how Veronica could so skillfully defeat the best players on the team and then play so poorly against a much less skilled opponent. When Veronica shakes her opponent's hand congratulating him on being Neptune High Champion and wishing him good luck in the City Tournament, Logan sees the light go on over Mr. Ball's head. He is just one in a long line of people who underestimated the petit blond.

Logan hugs Veronica to him saying in admiration, "Well played!"

Hugging her boyfriend back, she is pleased he is there to enjoy the ending to her long planned revenge. Looking up at him she says, "Thanks. Perhaps I'll do better next year."

Wrapping his arm around her he teases, "Perhaps."

They walk together out of the classroom with only Mr. Ball privy to their conversation and the meaning behind the innocuous words.

When they are out of the classroom, Logan smirks. Veronica doesn't know it yet but while Mr. Ball will have to pay for the embarrassing billboard that is be put up in front of Pan High, Logan has arranged for duplicate billboards to be put up all over town. It was worth it; especially the extra large lighted billboard on the freeway just before Mr. Ball's exit to go home.

As they walk together towards her first afternoon class, Logan thinks about how comfortable he is with her already. They have only been dating a short time but it seems longer. The other students at the school have grown more accustomed to seeing them together and the 09ers have fallen into a more comfortable pattern of being civil to Veronica. Veronica is quiet around the 09ers deciding that, for Logan's sake, she will be polite to his friends. They are firmly kept outside her walls and Logan understanding that Veronica is making a concession for his sake is attentive and protective of her. Other new items have started to cause more gossip than Logan Echolls dating Veronica Mars.

_After dinner_

The two shell shocked teenagers sit in Logan's car looking out at the waves. Logan thinks about how his father almost killed Trina's boyfriend and how he feels a little satisfaction at how his father made that slime ball pay for hurting Trina. He thinks about how upset Trina was and how quiet Veronica was as she looked over the carnage of the back yard and the damage done to the whimpering man lying at her feet. She looked at Aaron like he was a monster. Deep inside Logan wondered if she looked at him like a monster when he got in fights.

Veronica is deeply appalled at how one minute Logan's father could be beating an obviously frightened and injured man who is begging for him to stop; then the next minute politely greeting her and Logan telling them supper is almost ready. It was psychotic and more than a little scary. Her quick mind is rethinking her opinion of Logan's father in context for all she has heard about him, her past dealings with him and Lynn's suicide. There is a darker side to him that she had not really seen before. She just thought he was a self centered egotistical actor.

Finally Logan shakes himself out of his stupor and pulls Veronica into the back seat. He kisses behind her ear and slowly down her neck. Gently running his hand into her hair, he lifts her face to his telling her, "Since my father handled Trina's boyfriend, we have some free time before you have to be home."

"Mmm…" she murmurs. "There is that."

Pleased at her response to his kisses, Logan continues with his plan to get Veronica accustomed to his touch and his body.

_Friday night_

Veronica paces in her room as she waits for Logan to pick her up. Her last few checks of Lynn Echolls' credit cards have confirmed what she suspected at Lynn's funeral service. She has to tell Logan what she has found out. She is really not sure how he will take what she has to tell him and she is really reluctant to introduce any upset into their relationship. He is right in that their relationship is very young and they have a lot of issues they need to work out. Now instead of working out a past issue she is going to inject a new, potentially damaging problem. Thinking as she walks, she ponders the ramifications of holding back the information from Logan and has to immediately dismiss the choice. Recently she has learned about Duncan's epilepsy and Abel Kunz's cancer which led to her finding out that she could be Jake Kane's daughter. She is doubly upset at Duncan, Jake and her mother for withholding the information from her. She is working on having a trusting relationship with Logan and she can't break the trust; she has to be open with him, no matter the consequences.

Logan arrives to pick Veronica up for their date and greets Mr. Mars and Back Up. Mr. Mars, having gotten over his initial shock at his beloved daughter's choice to date the spoiled, rich son of Aaron Echolls, has made more of an effort to get to know Logan. He is a little worried that Logan, at seventeen, is already adept at saying the right thing and hiding behind a pleasant outward facade.

In turn, Logan holds his snark to a minimum and gives Keith the respect he knows Veronica expects for her father. Logan is unhappy that Mr. Mars went after Jake Kane but he has softened his stance a little now he knows that Jake was having an affair with Mrs. Mars. He also has to respect what a good father Keith has been to Veronica when he might know that Veronica is not his daughter. It is not inconceivable that ex Sheriff and current PI Keith Mars has known about the affair between his wife and Jake Kane. If he knows about the affair, it follows that he must suspect that Veronica is not his biological daughter. Logan can see where Mr. Mars might have something against Jake Kane and it influenced how he handled Lilly's murder investigation.

Veronica comes out of her room wearing a short dark grey dress. She has her hair in a messy up do and she is wearing the chain Lilly bought her and the earrings she got from her mother for her birthday the year before she left. She looks beautiful. Logan stands and walks over giving her a gentle kiss stating, "You look amazing!"

Pleased he likes how she looks, she smiles up at him returning the compliment, "You look very handsome."

Not liking the obvious attraction between his daughter and any boy, Keith interjects, "Father in the room."

The two teenagers smile in shared teenage satisfaction at upsetting a parent. Logan opens his suit jacket and pulls out the single red rose he had hidden there. Veronica's smile widens. She takes it and says, "Thank you Logan." She leans up and kisses him and then goes over to get a small vase out of the cupboard.

Keith and Logan watch as she runs water into the vase and puts the rose in it. Veronica sets the vase down on the counter and then gently touches a petal of the beautiful rose. The two men can see she is touched at receiving he flower.

Saddened that his actions led to Veronica's social isolation, Keith watches as Logan gently takes Veronica's shawl from where she put it on the counter and holds it open for her. He says, "Let's go Ronnie. I don't know about you but I am ready to eat."

She smiles up at him and turns her back letting him put the shawl over her shoulders. Tilting her head at her father she questions, "You have both our cell numbers?"

Her father frowns at her in disapproval but agrees that he does have both their numbers. She smirks at her father and takes Logan's hand walking through the door ahead of him.

As they walk away Keith hears Logan ask Veronica if she gave her father his cell number and she answers, "No, why would I?"

Logan shakes his head as he realizes that it is kind of unnerving to date a girl whose father can do a background check on him.

Amused, Veronica smiles at her boyfriend's obvious discomfort. Shaking his head, he opens her door for her and comments, "I thought Duncan was such a pussy for being afraid of your dad."

Laughing she gets in the vehicle and then looks out at him through the open door. She asks, "And now?"

"I understand his fears but I still think DK was a pussy," he rejoins. Meeting her gaze he adds meaningfully, "Especially the way he stopped talking to you."

Touched he is defending her; she bites her bottom lip a little and says, "Thanks."

Logan leans in the door and says, "I can't imagine dating you years and then just letting you go." He reaches up and gently caresses her cheek with one finger adding, "Even if we can't be together as a couple, I am always going to want you in my life."

Leaning farther in so his face is only inches from hers he finishes, "Know this though Veronica. I am excited about dating you. We have only been going out a short time and I already feel very strongly about you." He leans in the rest of the way and kisses her.

Really affected by his words, she reaches up and puts her hand in the back of his hair to deepen their kiss. Her boyfriend is saying all the right things but this new Veronica is not a girl who believes words. She does believe the feelings when they kiss though.

Logan looks at Veronica across the table and narrows his gaze. She looks nervous and that in itself is unusual for her. Deciding to get whatever is worrying her out in the open he asks, "What's up Ronnie?"

She brings her gaze back to him in question. He clarifies, "Spill. Something is on your mind."

Impressed he can read her so well, the beautiful petit blond looks at her boyfriend in wonder.

Logan is momentarily taken aback by her look. He says questioningly, "Ronnie?"

"Is it wrong I want to kiss you right now?" his girlfriend responds.

Normally quick-witted, Logan is further confused by her obvious happiness. Deciding go with his usual sarcasm he answers, "I'm surprised you don't want to do that all the time."

His tactic works and Veronica smiles. She teases back, "Well I actually do but right now more than ever."

He is unsure what she is feeling so he questions, "Ronnie, is something going on?"

Veronica reaches across the table and tells her sweet and caring boyfriend, "You amaze me sometimes."

Responding immediately to her gesture, he puts his hand in hers on the table. She takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out and he can see that she is gathering her courage to talk to him about something. The anxiety rises in his chest as she starts to talk, "I am worried about something and I do have to talk to you but we need to be in private. Can we go to the beach after we eat?"

Logan immediately looks pained. Veronica squeezes his hand and adds, "I am also a little awed that you can read me so well. Not many people can."

Logan is confused. She seems to be happy with him yet she is asking to talk to him alone which most guys hate to hear from their girlfriends.

Veronica attempts to clarify, "You could tell I have something worrying me even though I am trying to hide it." Gently caressing his hand with her index finger she adds softly, "We haven't been dating that long and already you get me."

Although he is appeased that she is touching him and her tone is soft and positive, Logan can't help but worry that Veronica has something really bad to say to him. Worried, he asks, "What do we need to talk about?"

Seeing his upset she rushes to reassure him, "It has nothing to do with our relationship if that is what you are thinking."

Immediately Logan relaxes a little relieved that she is not unhappy with them as a couple. He looks at her appraisingly and she shakes her head in wonder. He continually surprises her with how perceptive he is. Duncan never seemed to know how she was feeling and it is different to be dating someone who is in tune with her moods.

Suddenly she squeezes his hand and says, "OK let's leave. You can owe me dessert." Logan looks in surprise as his girlfriend stands up and gathers her purse. She says, "I'm going to go to the bathroom and I will be right back."

Puzzled at her abrupt manner, he offers, "We can have dessert if you want."

Veronica shakes her head at him and her voice is a little playful as she tells him, "You are going to stare at me until you figure out what I have to tell you so we might as well leave now." Without waiting for his answer, she turns and heads off towards the restrooms.

A little more relaxed, he watches her leave and then waves at the waiter. When the waiter arrives, Logan gives him a credit card to pay. He watches Veronica open the door and disappear into the women's restroom and smiles. They are getting to know each other pretty well.

Half an hour later he and Veronica are sitting on the tailgate of his Xterra looking out over the ocean. She turns to him and says, "I have something to talk to you about. I need you to keep calm and hear me out."

Hearing the serious tone of her words, he nods in agreement and waits for her to talk. He is a little disconcerted to see her take a deep breath and roll her shoulders before she starts their conversation. Whatever she wants to talk to him about is making her truly nervous. That in turn is increasing his anxiety.

She says carefully, "At your mother's funeral luncheon, we came back in from being outside on the patio when your father did that whole concerned about me thing."

Logan nods in remembrance.

Veronica continues, "Mrs. Patterson made that comment about how the Echolls men took care of their women. I thought it was weird how she worded it. I mean she had a lot of dealings with your mother through the art gallery but she didn't seem to run in the same social circle as your parents."

Logan nods in agreement and to show he is listening.

"Last year she divorced her husband because he cheated on her with his twenty year old assistant." Veronica briefly looks out at the ocean and then back at Logan when she goes on with her thoughts, "It popped into my head that maybe she and your mother had become close? They both had cheating husbands and loved art. Your father didn't seem to like her and pulled you away from her."

Logan frowns a little as the thinks back on that moment. He had been so tired and overwrought but he does remember how Veronica had stayed by his side except for that time she talked to Mrs. Patterson. He is brought back by Veronica's voice, "I decided to test my theory about their relationship." She talks about how she sighed and said how devastated Logan was without his mother, how close he had been to her and how she just didn't know how to support her poor boyfriend.

The young man can see how she used the situation to encourage Mrs. Patterson to let down her guard and talk about Lynn. Veronica explains, "Mrs. Patterson immediately reassured me that you would be OK and that things would get better for you soon."

Taking his hand she earnestly tells him, "She was so certain about you but you didn't even know who she was."

Frowning Logan thinks about what his girlfriend is telling him. She continues, "I thanked her and then changed the subject to Lynn's art collection. Mrs. Patterson wasn't really interested in it and she should have been because she sold her the paintings and they all would be going to you."

He tries to follow the direction of her thoughts but he can't really see the point of her story yet. Veronica looks at Logan and adds, "I told her that my dad had a case where a woman had made forgeries of her paintings and her husband didn't know."

Logan listens as Veronica talks about how Mrs. Patterson explained that people never really look at the paintings in their house unless they were moved. "She told a story about how a forger got the fruit in the wrong order in the bowl and the family who owned the painting never noticed even though it was in their dining room for years. She explained how the familiarity of seeing the painting made it so your brain never actually noticed the details of it."

Veronica had looked at Logan and gets to the point, "It just popped into my head that your mother was the real expert in your house. If the paintings were not real, she would notice but your father wouldn't." Squeezing his hand she sums up, "Mrs. Patterson would be inclined to help your mother if she thought she was leaving a man who fooled around on her but held all the power and money in the relationship."

Logan's eyes widen in understanding. Veronica thought his mother might be alive. Veronica moves closer to Logan. Her voice low and sincere, she carries on, "Then you showed me your grandfather's lighter and although they searched for her, your mom's body was never found."

Worried how he is going to react, she rushes through the rest of her story, "It didn't make sense for her to be distraught over your dad's affairs when you told me that she had been the one leaking your father's affairs to the tabloids. Then there were reports that your mother left her car on the bridge but got in a van and drove off…."

Logan finishes, "You began to wonder if my mother is really alive."

Veronica bites her lip and nods.

Logan grasps Veronica and pulls to face him. He looks directly at her and demands, "Veronica, what did you find out?"

Veronica, seeing his agitation, skips to the ending of the story and blurts out, "I think your mom is alive and living in Paris."


	13. Chapter 13

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day and she does even though they are no longer friends. Logan realizes that he made a huge mistake taking his anger out on her after Lilly was murdered. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. Logan kisses Veronica at school to deflect the students from talking to him about his mother's suicide and both he and Veronica find the kiss to be very revealing. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. He convinces Duncan to publicly support their relationship and try to have a relationship with his sister. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love. Veronica researching the information Logan gave her about his mother, finds out she may be alive and may be living in Paris. _

Logan looks at Veronica in shock. He opens his mouth and then closes it not really knowing what exactly to say. He had been following the direction of her story but it was still shocking to hear her say it aloud.

Of all the things he had been expecting her to want to talk about, this was not one of them. He had forgotten about Veronica checking into something she thought of at his mother's funeral. Truthfully he underestimated her again. When he gave her the information she requested, he thought she was going to find out what his mother recently bought and where she had been before she killed herself; it had not even crossed his mind that his mother ran away.

Veronica, carefully watching her boyfriend, sees his body tense and eyes widen. Attempting to help him relax she encourages, "Logan take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I have lots to tell you."

Deeply shocked Logan nods and takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out. He listens carefully as she tells him about checking out Lynn Echolls and then Lynn Lester; they both turned out to be dead ends.

Veronica looks at Logan and takes his hand. She goes on with her story about how everything came together when she checked out Lynn Barker.

Logan looks taken aback. He questions, "Barker? That's her grandmother's maiden name."

Veronica nods. Turning to face Logan she puts her hands in her lap as she talks about discovering that Lynn loves Paris and actually has relatives there on her grandmother's side. Waving her hands as she talks, she tells him about bugging Mrs. Patterson's cell phone and downloading her phone list. Meeting his gaze she tells him about it all clicked when she saw the name Lynn Barker on Mrs. Patterson's telephone directory. Sighing a little she explains how she checked the airlines and found out that a Lynn Barker flew to Paris the day his mother went missing.

She reaches over and pulls some papers out of her purse. The first page she shows him has passenger list of the flight to Paris from LA on the day his mother went missing. Logan sees that Lynn Barker sat in first class.

"This Lynn Barker bought an apartment in Paris a few weeks ago." Logan takes the second page Veronica hands him and sees the record of Lynn Barker's purchase of an apartment in Paris worth 1.5 million. He notes it is a high security building and is on the top floor.

Veronica takes a deep breath and continues, "I asked my godfather in the Seattle Police Department to do me a huge favor but keep it absolutely confidential. He looked up Lynn Barker's passport, sent me the picture and then destroyed the paper trail."

Without further comment she hands the last page to Logan. He takes it from her and looks down at it. It is a picture of his mother. Her hair is red and her eyes are blue but it is her. Logan's breath sucks in and he whispers, "She's alive."

Veronica grasps his hand and says worriedly, "Logan I am only a helper in my dad's office. I mean I am way over my head with this."

Logan looks at her. She bites her bottom lip and continues, "I think she is alive and in Paris but I have no way of confirming it and I'm afraid if I do any further checking I will make a mistake and give away what I found out or click someone in authority and blow her cover." She rushes on, "I am not even totally sure she is alive. I mean I think she is."

Logan squeezes her hand to stop her talking. He nods in understanding and summarizes, "You aren't sure how to confirm it is her without giving away you are looking for her."

Veronica nods relieved he understands. She rubs his arm slowly and offers, "Logan, my dad could find out for you without anyone, even your dad knowing. You wouldn't have to explain why she left or anything."

Logan looks at her and he doesn't know what to think. He is without words so he nods to let her know that he does understand what she has told him. His mind is racing with all the information Veronica has given him. After a few seconds, he turns and faces the ocean looking out while he tries to put his thoughts in order.

Unsettled and worried, Veronica watches Logan while he is looking at the ocean and thinking. She doesn't say anything. She dropped a lot on him tonight. It had been a hard decision to tell him. He is devastated his mother jumped off the bridge and was dealing with it. Now he has to do a one eighty in his thoughts and try to deal with the fact she might be alive.

Veronica knows how painful it is to accept that your mother left you and is probably not coming back. The thought that her own mother comes back to Neptune to see Jake Kane but doesn't see her hurts like no other pain she has ever had. Now Logan might have to face that Lynn planned and then left him. Veronica is beyond sorry that she is putting Logan through that pain and she is truly worried that she has made a mistake and his mother is not alive. She can't imagine that Lynn would run away and leave Logan.

Logan likes that Veronica understands him well enough to give him time to think. He cannot believe that his mother may be alive. Veronica doesn't know why his mother would leave but Logan understands it a little. She had to get away from his father. He just doesn't understand why she would leave him behind when he is a year away from leaving and she could go with him. If Veronica is correct she has been planning this a while; getting a new name, a new passport, forgeries of her art collection and arranging her new life in Paris.

Logan's thoughts are chaotic and he feels like he can't breathe. He is trying to process everything Veronica has told him and shown him. He knows he has to think about what to tell Veronica about his father and mother. He trusts Veronica but his father is very dangerous right now and he needs to protect her. He also needs to think about what to do about his mother. He wants to make sure but he has to be careful.

After a while Logan says, "Veronica you have given me a lot to think about."

Veronica looks at him but he can see she is nervous and worried. She is biting her bottom lip and fidgeting with her dress. She says, "Logan I want to thank you for trusting me and I want to apologize for messing in your life."

Logan sees she feels badly at what she had to tell him. He interrupts, "Ronnie, I know you were trying to help."

The young man doesn't know what to say. Veronica has a sharp mind and right now he doesn't want her thinking too deeply about the reasons his mother left. He hesitates and then goes with, "There is a lot you don't know and right now I have a lot to think about before I talk to you about everything."

Veronica nods. Logan brushes the loose tendrils that the wind has blown into her eyes away from her face. He carries on, "I need you to trust me and give me some time now."

Veronica looking up at Logan feels her heart sink in her chest. She had been worried he would be upset with her, "You want to take a break from us for a while?"

Logan immediately shakes his head, "No Ronnie, No!" He takes her face in his hands and explains, "No I mean let's just keep what you told me between us and I will get back to you on what I think we should do once I have had time to really give it some thought."

Veronica looks at Logan obviously relieved that he is not upset with her. She says, "OK."

He reinforces, "I definitely don't want to take a break from us."

Logan sees Veronica's face relax. He can see she was worried that she had upset him. "Ronnie. I am really happy dating you. This issue with my mother is something that is going to have to wait, that's all."

Veronica nods and then leans in putting her head on Logan's chest. She says, "You trusted me and waited for me to check out my ideas. I will wait for you to think about what you want to do. Just…"

Logan pulls away and looks down at her in question. She ventures, "Just please let me know if I can help you with anything."

Logan smiles at her and leans down to gently kiss her. Logan looks at his girlfriend's worried face and openly tells her, "You amaze me sometimes."

Veronica blushes a little. Logan leans in and pulls her into his arms and really kisses her. When he is done, he pulls her into his chest and holds her there as he thinks. Veronica stays there trying to control her breathing after the passionate kiss and finds she is very content to just stay in Logan's arms.

Logan holds her close and just tries to relax and clear his thoughts. He has never had anyone who wanted to help him before. He thought that Lilly and Duncan cared about him. He loved belonging to the Fab 4. Since Lilly died, he has felt so adrift and alone. Then when he lost his mother, he was truly lost. Miraculously Veronica stepped in and anchored him. In his head he knew what a good friend she was to Lilly and what a sweet and loving girlfriend she was to Duncan. Now dating her, he truly understands why the Kanes both loved her so much. The young man holds her loving how she fits perfectly in his arms; smelling the scent of her shampoo, feeling her warmth against his chest and listening to her even respirations against his chest. He looks out over the ocean that has always been his haven. He really needs time to think about everything he has learned tonight.

Later Logan takes Veronica home and kisses her passionately and gratefully at her apartment door. He hugs her to him and says, "I'll call you after surfing tomorrow."

Smiling up at her boyfriend she nods. Taking a deep breath, her face gets serious for a second and she tentatively says, "Logan I just want to thank you for being so understanding about your mom. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't know how to confirm the information and I just had to let you know what I found out."

Logan sees the sincerity in her face and hears the worry for his well being in her voice and he is profoundly touched. He can see she cares about him. He reaches up and cups his hand behind her small head and quietly tells her, "Ronnie, I know you are just looking out for me. I am not upset with you." He looks into her shimmering blue eyes and his soften with love for this petit, beautiful, strong girl who is obviously worried about him.

She whispers, "I don't know exactly what you are feeling but I know what it is to have a mom leave." Reaching up she brushes the hair from his forehead and adds, "I can listen if you want to talk about it." She caresses down to his cheek and adds, "Anytime you need to talk, let me know."

Logan feels a sharp pain in his already sore chest. In that moment he realizes how he piled on the hurt when Veronica's mother left her. She was already in pain over the loss of Lilly and then everything that happened when her father lost his job. Logan thinks about how he had not been there to help her through any of it; he should have put aside all his anger and he should have been there for her. Veronica was close to her mother and would have felt her loss deeply. He had added to her pain instead of helping her through it. He is beginning to realize that he doesn't even know how to be a true friend.

His voice is hoarse as he looks at Veronica and chokes out, "I am so sorry Ronnie. I wasn't there at all for you when your mother left."

To his surprise his girlfriend stops his apology by putting her finger over his lips. Firmly she tells him, "Not tonight Logan." Pulling her fingers away from his lips, she caresses his forehead pushing his hair away from his face in the gentle wind. "Tonight you are dealing with a lot."

Pulling away a little she puts her hand over his heart and says, "The past will still be there once you have had time to process what you have learned about your mom."

Shaking his head a little he earnestly tells her, "I have so much to apologize for."

Nodding a little she says something that blows Logan away, "The important thing is that you have stopped hurting me and you are helping me now." She leans in and gently kisses over his heart and adds, "We can deal with the past another time. Right now what you are feeling and dealing with is more important."

Choked he pulls her in close and rests his chin on top of her head closing his eyes savoring the feeling of being cared for. "Thank you," he whispers content to just hold her. Tonight is a night of strong emotions for Logan. First he learns his mother might be alive. Secondly he gets true emotional support from Veronica and although it doesn't take the sting away from the idea that his mother planned and then left him, it really does help to have someone who truly cares. Finally he sees what a real relationship is like. He has hurt Veronica and apologized but she has put aside her hurt and put him first because tonight he needs her.

Keith Mars looks out the window in the door just in time to see the close moment between his daughter and her new boyfriend. He can't hear what they are talking about but there is no mistaking the emotions between them. He closes the curtain and walks into the kitchen as he thinks about the look on the young man's face as he holds Veronica. Logan Echolls may be a master at hiding behind an outer façade but it is clear that his loving daughter has gotten behind this young man's walls. He couldn't see his daughter's face but her gentle actions tell the story for Keith. It is a disturbing and worrisome thing for any father to see his daughter date but for Keith who has watched the changes in his daughter since Lilly died, it is even more alarming. One thing he does know; Logan and Veronica are too young to be so emotionally close.

The next day Keith is surprised that when he clears his schedule and demands a daddy-daughter day, Veronica is enthused. He had expected her to either pout because she wanted to see Logan or she didn't want to be seen with her old man. Instead, she happily plans a day at the zoo and dinner with him. He doubts he will ever understand her.

Surfing the next day is a lot of fun for the guys. The weather is great and the waves are good. The mood is relaxed and happy. Dick Cassablancas is happy he is surfing. He is excited that he has his pick of the 09er girls who want to replace Madison. He is also happy that Logan seems to be doing OK after his mother's suicide. Although Dick would rather Logan played the field and partied more, he has to admit that Logan is less wound up now he is dating Veronica. The tall, blond 09er is pleasantly surprised that Duncan is there again. He was worried what would happen when Logan started dating Duncan's ex girlfriend; but they are relaxed together and it is cool to see Duncan be more like his old self. Dick is also pleased that their group seems to be growing. Casey comes out with them more often. Logan told him that he and Casey have started working out a couple times a week together. The only negative thing for Dick is that his younger brother seems to be getting more agitated every week. He is wound up normally anyways but lately he has been even jumpier than usual.

Out on the ocean Duncan is floating on his board beside Logan. He asks, "Where is Veronica today?"

Logan looks meaningfully at his best friend and answers, "She is having a Father-Daughter day with Mr. Mars at the zoo."

Shaking his head Duncan comments, "It would shake her to the core if she found out that Mr. Mars is not her biological father."

Logan watches Dick's run in and then looks over at his best friend. "Honestly DK, there is no good way out of the mess your father and her mother made."

When Duncan looks at him in question, he shakes his head and explains, "On one hand she finds out about the all the lies and she is devastated that Mr. Mars is not her biological father. On the other hand she misses out on knowing her biological family." Meeting Duncan's gaze Logan elaborates, "She has a brother, father, grandparents, cousins and future nieces and nephews she will never get to share her life with; never get to know."

Duncan looks around making sure they are alone and he shares, "Dad and Veronica's mom are still seeing each other."

"What!" Logan exclaims, "Are you sure?"

Sighing DK explains, "I overheard my mother talking to one of her friends in the living room." He continues on, "She hired a PI to follow Dad and he got pictures of him with Mrs. Mars at the Camelot."

Appalled and a little disgusted, Logan asks, "After all the pain they have caused, they are still seeing each other?

The dark haired young man looks back at the beach and sadly tells his best friend, "I can't wait to go away to college."

"Fuck," Logan spits out, "Who could blame you for wanting to get away from Neptune?" There is a pause while both boys think about the situation. Finally Logan asks, "What is your mom going to do with the proof that your dad is still cheating?"

Meeting his friend's gaze, Duncan shrugs, "I don't know." He thinks for a moment and then adds, "She has known about them for a long time and never left Dad."

Frowning Logan asks, "Why did she have him followed now then?"

"I guess to find out if it was still going on." Duncan ventures. After a few moments Duncan adds, "If mom leaves Dad, I will probably go with her."

Upset at the idea Duncan might move, Logan comments, "The whole situation is wacked!" When Duncan nods in agreement Logan carries on, "Veronica's mom left her and Veronica says she hasn't seen her mom since; yet, she comes back to Neptune to see your dad."

Shaking his head at the whole situation Duncan sighs, "I hope she doesn't find out that her mom comes to Neptune to see my dad but doesn't see her." He meets his best friend's gaze and asks, "What good can come of her knowing that?"

Logan runs his hand through his hair in agitation. "I kind of agree but I just can't get over that she has family she won't know." He adds, "That doesn't seem fair."

Duncan looks sad and shares, "I am not sure what to do right now. I will have to think about it." He meets his best friend's gaze and shares, "It is a huge decision and I need to be sure before I tell her."

Logan actually can see Duncan's point. Telling Veronica about her paternity is a decision that affects a lot of people besides her. There are a lot of ramifications and DK has to give it more thought before he decides what to do.

Logan thinks about his petite girlfriend. Although she might be better off not knowing Jake is her father and that she dated her half brother; the fact is she and Duncan could be good for each other. Duncan is now an only child and Veronica is an only child. Logan thinks they would eventually become a real source of love and support for each other. Additionally Jake's parents and siblings are good people and it could be a positive situation for all of them to add Veronica to their family. The other thing that seems wrong to Logan is that Veronica is the daughter of a billionaire; she really shouldn't have to struggle so hard to pay for college, drive a car that isn't really trustworthy or work to help her father pay the bills.

Logan heads in and sits back in his chair looking out at the waves. He watches the other 09ers surf. Being here has always soothed him and surfing helps him think. Today he has so much to think about and he has not come to any decisions. He doesn't know what to do about Veronica's paternity issue and talking to DK hasn't cleared it up at all. If anything, he is more confused on what to do.

Also he really doesn't know what to do about his mother. He can't risk anyone finding out she is alive. She has hopefully found a way to be safe now and has a new life away from his father and from the media spotlight. Maybe she will quit drinking and taking all those chemicals she has been using to survive the hell her marriage brought on. He would like to think that she is with her family and she has love and support. If looking her up will endanger her new found peace, he can't risk it. She has been though enough and deserves some peace. However for his own peace of mind he really needs to know for sure that she is alive. He needs confirmation one way or another.

It occurred to him to have one of her paintings authenticated. They are in storage for him and it would be easy to have one of them checked without his father knowing. If it was a copy, then he would reasonably confirm a part of his mother's plan. However what if it wasn't a forgery? It could mean that she only had a few copies done or it could mean that she didn't get the money from her paintings. It would not be the confirmation he needs.

He also thought about checking out his family in France and see if there was anyone there he could use to confirm Lynn Barker's identity but he dismissed that. The bill would be large to hire someone overseas and there was a big risk that someone would find out about it or the PI he hired might make more money by selling the story instead of helping him.

Although Veronica feels like her father would help him and could be trusted, Logan doesn't know what Mr. Mars would do if he discovered why Lynn left. It seems to Logan that as a former sheriff, Mr. Mars would feel he has to report Aaron's abuse of Lynn and definitely has to report his abuse of Logan. Logan knows that his father would get out of any legal difficulties and would look good while everyone who tried to get justice would be ruined. His father had charmed and lied his way out of so many hospital situations for his wife and son. So many police officers, doctors and nurses with supposed their high moral codes and oaths to protect the public just couldn't or didn't want to believe that the charming, caring husband and father they saw on the movie screen might have caused the bruises and burns they saw on Lynn and Logan. Really why they did nothing doesn't matter; the fact is, Logan can't trust in the justice system or the health care system to help him.

He thought of asking Jake Kane to help him. Although he seems to be a despicable man in his own family, he is a powerful man who would help him. It would be a simple matter for him to confirm Lynn Baker's identity for him and he believes he would keep it quiet.

Unsure what would be best, Logan knows that he is going to have to give the situation more thought before he makes a decision. Unless he comes up with a better plan, Logan thinks he may pay a visit to Jake and get his advice and help. Jake will not have to know why Lynn left and if he discovers it, he will keep it quiet at Logan's request.

Logan also wonders what he can do for Veronica. He was so abusive towards her; he is truly not sure how or if he can make things up to her. He can help her gain acceptance but he can't fix her reputation. He has ruined that for her now. He knows better than anybody that once a rumor is out there, it can't be taken back. He can help her feel better about her body and sex but he can't fix that she was raped. He can't fix that she dated her half brother for years. He can't fix that her mother doesn't care enough about her to be honest with her. There is so much in her life that just can't be fixed. Yet, he wants to do something to help her. She doesn't deserve what she has been through. She deserves so much better.

Laying back Logan looks at the clouds. There aren't very many but he watches as the wind blows the puffy whiteness past where he is resting. He thinks about his last counseling session. He will never talk to Mrs. Cartwright about his issues but he really can talk to her about how to deal with problems. In the book they discussed this week, the main character has to step up and be a hero but the real crux of the book is how he slowly deals with his personal issues.

Through his discussion with his counselor, Logan sees how dealing with big issues is really a long process; there is no quick fix. They discussed how once the main character identified his issues, he could slowly deal with them. Although Logan doesn't have the same issues as the character in the book, he could see how it was important for him to be aware of his own issues and not let them rule his choices in the future. He doesn't have to be like Aaron or his mother. He doesn't have to be like Jake and Mrs. Mars. He can be in a real relationship. He can choose to have peace and try and be happy.

Curious to hear her opinion, he asked Mrs. Cartwright how any couples could be happy when both parties brought their past issues with them into the relationship and their past issues influenced how they reacted to the present issues.

She smiled at him and said, "That is a good question." They went on to discuss how even friendships had the same questions. She commented, "Mostly you love them and you accept their personal demons and idiosyncrasies. In turn your true friends accept yours. Then you forge good times with them and when times are bad, you hang onto them and let them know they are loved."

Thinking about it he said, "No wonder so many marriages fail."

She had laughed and teased, "You might just have what it takes to be a psychiatrist."

He had been amused and teased her back, "College sounds like too much work."

Nodding her agreement she said, "It is but it is kind of enlightening to listen to the lectures and do the reading." She adds, "There is so much information out there and so many people who are experts in their field who can teach you." Surprising Logan she added, "I wish I would afford to just be a student my whole life."

Frowning he had pointed out how school involved tests and reports that were tedious. She completely agreed and then shared, "No I meant that I would like to pick topics that interested me and learn about them. I would attend lectures and seminars. I would travel and learn about ideas. I don't necessarily mean I would attend college."

Looking at her young patient she intoned, "An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."

Quickly he returned, "If we are looking for financial advice from Benjamin Franklin, I like 'A penny saved is a penny earned' better."

She laughed and admitted, "That is probably really good advice."

Logan had left shortly after but the idea was planted in his head that he could learn without the constrictions of a classroom. He was wealthy enough to focus his life on learning. He never needed to work. He could learn from the school of life.

The 09er guys decide to stay at the beach and have a bonfire. It is going to be a beautiful night and any night is perfect for seeing half naked girls, drinking and perhaps a little dancing. Dick decides since he has a truck he will be responsible for the refreshments. Casey pulls his phone out and he and John order some food. Derek arranges for the music and Peter calls the 09er girls.

Veronica arrives with Meg a couple of hours into the party. She has her hair up in a messy ponytail, an emerald green bikini top and jean shorts. Dick spots the two girls arriving and yells, "Ronnie and Meg; you both look hot this evening."

Logan turns and sees that Veronica has arrived. He immediately goes over to greet her. His smile is wide as he jogs up to his girlfriend, picks her up and gives her a huge kiss as he spins her around. Breathless, Veronica wraps her arms around her boisterous boyfriend's neck and quietly says, "I missed you today."

He nuzzles her cheek with his nose and teases, "Of course you did."

Laughing she answers, "Shut up and kiss me."

He does.

Later Logan finds his sexy girlfriend a short ways away from the party. He walks towards her a little worried that she is OK. He knows she is reluctant to go to 09er parties but does for him.

When he gets near her she smiles at him easily and he is reassured that she is happy. He says, "Why are you hiding over here?"

Briefly she smiles and then looks back over the water. She tells her caring boyfriend, "I just needed a few minutes away from the noise."

Walking closer he wraps an arm around her waist and stands beside her. For a few minutes the couple enjoys the quiet together. Veronica reaches into the front pocket of her shorts and pulls out an mp3 player. She turns it on and tells him, "I have a song I want you to hear."

Logan watches as she turns on the player and finds the song she is looking for. She hands the tall 09er one ear piece and steps closer to put the other ear piece in her ear. The cord is long enough not to tug on their ears but it forces them to stand close together. Veronica wraps her arms around her handsome boyfriend's neck and looks up at him as he listens to the music.

It is a romantic duet about being alone even in a crowd until the man and woman find each other. Immediately Logan likes the song and he wraps his arms around her happy to be this close with her. They move together to the music and look into each others' eyes. As always, they both feel the pull of the other.

Watching from the darkness the young man sees the relationship between Logan and Veronica is emotionally close. The two sworn enemies are now dating. The whole idea is ridiculous yet he only has to use his eyes to see the feelings between them. Their relationship is dangerous to him. If they continue to date, Veronica will certainly tell Logan about Shelly's party. She may not remember anything important but Logan will get all protective and he will definitely look into it. He will ask questions and people will talk to him. As the angry young man watches the couple dance together, he sees their comfort touching each other. They are getting close physically as well. He had been safe. Now it was all falling apart. He has to do something soon.

Veronica mouths the words to the song and Logan pulls her even closer as he watches her sing to him and listens to the song through his ear piece. The song is actually quite perfect for them.

When the chorus after the last verse starts, Veronica slides a hand behind Logan's head and pulls his head down to hers. She kisses him touching her lips to his and holding them there. She pulls away a fraction and then kisses him again slowly and with a lot of emotion. Logan, feeling a deep need, takes over the kiss. The emotions between them rise and Veronica returns the kiss fully.

Logan is touched that kick ass Veronica Mars found a song that could be about their relationship. He is amazed that she is showing a girly side when she is with him. Truly a little bit of normal won't hurt them; they are really just a boy and girl in high school who are dating. They are at a beach party where they had a lot of fun playing volleyball, drinking, eating good food and now dancing. What could be more ordinary? Who knew they would be a couple who had a song?


	14. Chapter 14

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love. Veronica researching the information Logan gave her about his mother, finds out she may be alive and may be living in Paris and tells him. Cassidy, seeing the mismatched couple is becoming close, gets worried._

The warm California morning sun shines down on the teenagers who are, for the most part, reluctantly exiting the bus and the vehicles in the front parking lot at Neptune High School. Logan parks his bright yellow beacon in its normal spot near the front doors and looks around. A couple of stalls down, he notices his best friend leaning against his navy SUV watching. The dark haired 09er nods his head in greeting and then tips his head towards the area near the gymnasium where most of the basketball players park. Logan briefly looks over to where Duncan is directing him and then he casually nods back in understanding before he gets out and wanders over to the passenger side of his vehicle to let Veronica out.

His petit blond girlfriend shoulders her messenger bag and swings her legs around to step down out of his vehicle. Automatically Logan puts out his hand to assist her. Smiling at his gallant manner she takes his hand and allows him to help her out. Once she is stable on the ground, Logan brings her hand to his lips and gently kisses the soft skin on the back of it. Softly he tells her, "You look beautiful this morning."

Raising an eyebrow at her handsome boyfriend, she responds quietly, "Thank you." Squeezing his fingers with hers, she meets his gaze and sees the admiration in his dark eyes. To his surprise she gets a girly smile and her gaze slides from his for a moment.

Logan's smile widens. Sometimes his 'kick ass, take no prisoners' girlfriend shows her marshmallow underbelly; and each time, it disarms him. Wisely he makes no comment and merely links their fingers together, gently pulls her away from the doorway, shuts the door, depresses the lock button and pockets the keys.

The king of the 09ers looks relaxed and happy as he walks into the school holding the hand of his pocket sized girlfriend. His attention is focused on her as they walk together. He is obviously listening to whatever she is saying and he finds her amusing.

On the face of it they look like any other ordinary high school couple. However, in their case, looks are deceiving. Logan is the undisputed king of the 09ers and Veronica is an amateur PI who will not think twice about ruining you if you get in her way.

Veronica is talking about how her father is going out of town for a couple of days. She waves her arms as she talks about how this particular bail jumper has been very elusive. Logan has to smile at how different her life is than other girls. Most girls he has dated talk about new clothes, hair styles, shoes or what their friends say. Veronica is talking about bail jumpers, stake outs and working after school as a detective while at the same time she is number one in their class right now.

"After surfing, I'll pick up supper and meet you," he offers. Smiling happily at her thoughtful boyfriend she says, "That would be great!" She frowns as a thought occurs to her, "Where are you going to get supper?"

Amused Logan smirks and reassures the suspicious blond, "I promise no more spicy Indian food." Her face immediately clears and she smiles happily as they walk together. Logan has to laugh as he brought over supper from the new Indian restaurant last week and it had been way too hot for her. He sometimes forgets that he is used to a lot of spices in his meals. He has had most of his suppers cooked by a professional chef or a housekeeper. Veronica's stomach is not as desensitized as his. "Next time we eat there, I will order something less stressful on your gastropalate."

"That is not a real word," she complains.

He smiles as her frown returns at the memory of her stomach upset. He wraps his arm around her shoulder as he tells her, "I am craving lemon pepper wings."

Her face immediately lights up, "Oooh, that is a good idea."

Although he is focused on Veronica, Logan notices that there is a gathering of students down the hall. When he and Veronica arrive, they see that the students are looking at something on the wall.

Curious, Logan and Veronica go over to see what the fuss is about. It turns out they are all looking at a life sized poster of a naked Ben Walsh. The picture is obviously taken in the locker room while he is changing. Although Ben is the tallest kid in school, the pictures clearly shows that there is not a corresponding gift of size lower. His lack of endowment is fully displayed for the whole school to see.

There is a moment of silence while Logan and Veronica look at the picture. Before either of them can make a comment, Dick and Beaver arrive. Dick is openly laughing as he says, "Dude, his picture is all over the school."

Logan turns Veronica away and as they walk towards her locker with Dick and Beaver, Logan pronounces, "Now that is humiliating!"

Dick agrees, "He better get a huge NBA contract or he will never get laid."

Laughing, Logan has to agree. Veronica is quiet as she thinks about who could have pulled this prank on Ben. She has to admit it is a good one and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person; he has been a total jerk to her.

When they arrive at her locker, Dick and Beaver continue on and Logan leans against the locker next to hers as she puts her afternoon books in her locker and makes sure she has everything she needs for her morning classes. Logan, out of the corner of his eye, sees Luke give him the signal that Ben is on his way up the hall. The king of the 09ers easily pulls Veronica into his body and leans down to kiss her.

Veronica, although initially surprised, quickly goes on her tiptoes and wraps her arms around her boyfriend's neck participating in the kiss.

Ben angrily slams Veronica's locker shut and yells, "You bitch!" He stops in surprise when he sees she is not alone and is currently in the arms of none other than Logan Echolls.

Logan breaks apart from his girlfriend at slam of her locker and angry tone from the tall basketball star. Protectively he steps between Veronica and the obviously upset young man. He immediately pushes her behind him ensuring her safety.

Ben was humiliated and angry when he saw the poster and then he was infuriated when he learned the poster was up in every hallway. There was only one person who would have the nerve to get back at him this way and he headed to her locker to make her pay. He had not counted on her not being alone. He had definitely not anticipated that he would be facing a pissed off King of the 09ers when he slammed her locker shut.

The anger bubbled up in Logan when he saw that the huge basketball player physically threatened Veronica. He narrowed his gaze and said, "Back off."

The students in the corridor containing the M lockers are initially attracted by the loud noise of the slamming of the locker door echoing in the narrow hallway along with the masculine yell. They stay interested when they see the impending confrontation between the star basketball player and the leader of the 09ers. The teammates who accompanied Ben to watch him confront Veronica are now very uncomfortable when they see that Ben has unintentionally provoked one of the last people you want to upset in the school; Logan Echolls. Luke, John and Derek step closer to be available to back Logan up if needed. The tension in the hallway increases.

The vengeful basketball player involuntarily steps back a pace with a shocked look on his face. He is still very upset but he definitely does not want to take on the leader of the school. Veronica has been alone this year; he has not had to worry about someone being there when he tormented her. Furious, Ben had gone to talk to Veronica without thinking the situation through; he had not anticipated that she might be with her new boyfriend.

Without breaking eye contact with Ben, Logan says, "Luke, take Veronica to her homeroom."

Luke steps over to Veronica who looks like she is going to argue but the young baseball player shakes his head letting her know that now is not the time. She briefly meets his gaze and then, surprisingly, lets him lead her away. Once she and Luke have started walking way, Logan steps towards Ben and asks angrily, "What the fuck is your problem?"

Ben spits out, "She put up those posters of me."

His voice deceptively silkily, Logan points out, "So it makes you feel like more of a man to threaten a girl who is over a foot and a half shorter and a hundred pounds lighter than you." He sneers, "Over compensating much?"

The students listening gasp in shock while the 09er guys laugh.

Ben says, "I am not going to just let this go."

Openly angry now, Logan clenches his fist and threatens, "If I see you anywhere near Veronica, your backup will be playing for you in the next game."

It looks like Logan really wants to beat Ben up right now. Logan's friends see that Mr. Clemmons is walking towards them. Johns steps in between Logan and Ben when Logan doesn't move away from the altercation. "We have to get to class," he coaxes. He adds, "We can deal with him later." There is a moment's pause when Logan looks like he is going to hit Ben even though he knows that Mr. Clemmons is watching. John is relieved when Logan finally responds and turns to walk towards his locker.

In the next hallway, Veronica is really put out that Ben would physically threaten her and worried that Logan will get in trouble for fighting and upset his father.

Luke listens to her tell him she can look after herself and he asks, "Where did you get the picture of Ben?"

She stops and looks at him in surprise. She says, "It wasn't me."

The dark haired 09er looks like he doesn't believe her but he calmly points out, "Oh, well it was a good prank though."

Tilting her head as she thinks, she agrees, "It really was."

They walk in silence the rest of the way to her class. When they arrive Luke turns slightly to her and meets her gaze. "Veronica, you have to let Logan protect you." He pauses and then carefully explains, "He protects us all. It is just his way."

She sighs and admits, "I guess I have gotten used to looking after myself." Luke is a little worried when he hears the pain in her voice. He puts his hand on her arm and soothes, "You have us to help you now."

Veronica pulls her arm away and agrees, "Yeah you are here now." Her voice has more edge as she adds, "Forgive me if I don't rely on having any 09ers as my friend."

She turns and goes into her class leaving Luke standing at the door. He is not really surprised that she doesn't trust any of them anymore. Truthfully, he does feel badly about what she went through. She had always been nice to him. He turns and walks towards his homeroom class.

Logan sits in his home room class and fumes. He is not paying any attention to the announcements as he thinks. When he and DK had planned the payback to some of the non 09er students who were particularly mean to Veronica, they thought that having the students think that the payback was delivered by Veronica would add to her reputation as someone not to mess with. They had not counted on any of the victims deciding to hurt her. Ben thought she was small and helpless and he could hurt her and get away with it. It made Logan wonder how many students actually tried to hurt her.

Dick sitting beside Logan can see he is really pissed. He had been at his locker and missed the altercation but he definitely heard about it. John told him that it looked like Logan was going to hit Ben even though Clemmons was there. Now, sitting in home room, Logan is still really angry. If anyone had any doubts about it before, it is crystal clear now; Logan Echolls is very protective of Veronica Mars.

Duncan sits in home room a few desks behind Veronica. He has heard about the confrontation between Logan and Ben and he is worried. He and Logan had not thought about someone actually physically hurting Veronica over their pranks. He thinks about Logan's assertion that someone or more than one someone physically hurt her and how she won't talk about it. He is going to have to talk to Logan before they execute the next step of their plan. They may have to make it clear that it is not Veronica who is plotting the payback.

Logan, sitting in class, finds he cannot calm down. When he saw that Ben was angry enough to actually physically hurt Veronica, he was absolutely enraged. He thought Ben would be upset and want to talk to Veronica. He had Luke and Jack watch Ben and he made sure he was with Veronica so that Ben could not upset or humiliate her; it never occurred to him that Ben might get physical with her. The idea that Veronica could have been injured really throws Logan.

Logan thinks that he must be attracted to vengeful women; first Lilly and now Veronica. The petit blond is adept at getting her own revenge against the students who bothered her. Lucky for Ben he only made her 'deserves payback but not a priority' list.

The thing is, he is very proficient at getting revenge as well. Although Logan knows he is more known for the loud and direct approach, it does not mean that he is not capable of a more delicate and stealthy plan. He is going to find out who hurt Veronica and he is going to destroy them. He has never felt so protective of someone before.

Veronica is sitting in class listening to the announcements. Her mind wanders to how Logan protected her and how angry he got when she was threatened. Part of her is upset he thinks she needs his protection and the other part, remembers how good it felt to be protected as part of the Fab 4. She tells herself that she can't count on anyone helping her and she shouldn't get used to it. Logan, Duncan and all her 09er friends abandoned her once. She shouldn't give them the chance to abandon her again. Still, although she will never admit it out loud, a protective Logan is very sexy. She texts him and he immediately answers back that he is not in Clemmons' office and not in trouble. She sighs with relief and texts back, "Good. Like u 1 piece."

Logan looks at his phone and gets a little smile. Dick watching his best friend decides that he must be texting Veronica. He sees that whatever she said to him makes him smile and relax a little. That is a huge relief to the easygoing 09er. He has known Logan a long time and although Logan has a temper, he usually blows up and then gets over it just as quickly. This time he is still upset long after the confrontation with Ben is over. Dick smirks a little as he thinks about the posters of naked, tiny Ben. He has to hand it to Veronica. That is a great prank!

It turns out that Veronica's relief that Logan didn't get in trouble was misplaced. In the middle of first period Math, she is called out to go and see Vice Principal Clemmons. Casey immediately texts Logan to let him know that Veronica is on her way to the office. Logan frowns when he reads the text. He forwards the text to Duncan. This was definitely not part of the plan.

Veronica walks the familiar path to see the stiff and disapproving Vice Principal. A little dejected she walks into his office and sits in the chair he points to. She has not found the Vice Principal to be particularly understanding or fair when you do not live in the 09er zip code or play a sport which might bring glory and subsequent donations to the school. She is not surprised to hear that Ben has accused her of putting up the unfortunate pictures. Futilely she tells him it wasn't her. It is obvious that Mr. Clemmons does not believe her when she denies her involvement and she is upset when he informs her that this transgression is punishable by suspension. Frowning, he tells her that he has already talked to her father and since he is out of town, he has authorized his lawyer to speak for him. Veronica is directed to wait outside for his arrival.

When Cliff arrives he is highly amused when he sees the picture and he asks, "V, what did this guy ever do to you?"

Crossing her arms, Veronica mutters, "What hasn't he done?" Taking a deep breath to calm down, she points out that she is a girl and can't get in the boys' locker room to take the picture. "Besides, it would cost a lot of money to get so many portraits that size made."

Cliff, seeing her point, checks, "You really didn't do it?"

Veronica shakes her head meeting his gaze. She simply says, "I could lose any chance at scholarships if I am suspended."

He sees she is telling him the truth and shrugs, "Whoever did it has style."

Veronica looks at Cliff and agrees, "Style and money."

Cliff pats her shoulder and gets up to go and see the vice principal when the door opens.

When Cliff comes out, he goes over and tells Veronica he will call her father and update him on what has transpired. He says, "Vice Principal Clemmons only has the word of the angry, photogenic young man that you were the student that orchestrated the prank." He adds, "It is unfortunate that he bothered your father and me without first ensuring you were actually the culprit."

Veronica stands and thanks Cliff for helping her. He merely looks at his watch and tells her he will talk to her later and leaves the office.

Vice Principal Clemmons calmly looks at Veronica and tells her she should just go to third period as second period is almost over. She walks over to the desk to get her late slip and then heads out the door.

The now upset petit blond walks into third period class when the bell rings and sits in her chair. She pulls out her phone and texts her boyfriend, "Back in class. Lucy, you have a lot of 'splaining to do."

Logan walking to third period reads his text and has to smile. Although he is relieved that Veronica is not being suspended, she now suspects he is behind the prank and she is going to question him. He shakes his head as this prank was all Duncan and Logan is going to completely deny any involvement. He has to smile at how humiliated Ben is though. He heard that Ben's parents took him home. He thinks about how Ben had no problem tormenting Veronica but it seems he doesn't like it when the shoe is on the other foot. There are a few of his classmates that are going to learn the 'do unto others' lesson; the Echolls/Kane style. He knows Lilly would really have liked this prank and would be proud of her brother.

At lunch Logan walks towards Veronica's locker. Today they are sitting at her table and he finds that he is happy that they will be alone together. He just got off the phone with the billboard company and they received the picture and check from Mr. Ball for the billboard across the street from Pan High. Logan was happy to OK the other billboards and was assured that they would all be up by the end of the week. Just the thought of seeing a gigantic sized Mr. Ball admitting the Pan High chess coach is better than him makes Logan smile.

The tall 09er's eyes soften when he sees his girlfriend walking towards him. He bounds up to her, picking her up off the ground and swinging her around. He laughs when she squeals and when he puts her down; he wraps his arm around her waist and walks with her towards the Quad.

Entranced by the happiness in her boyfriend, Veronica can't help but smile up at him as they walk. She says, "I should be mad at you."

"At moi?" he asks with his hand to his chest; the picture of innocence.

She shakes her head at him and patiently reminds him, "The picture of Ben?"

Immediately he negates, "That wasn't me." He can see she doesn't believe him but he steadily meets her gaze and observes, "That was actually an awesome idea but it wasn't mine."

Unsure whether to believe him or not, she asks, "Did you provide the financing then?"

"No," he immediately tells her. When they reach the door of the Quad, he opens it for and then follows her through. He looks down at her as they walk together and questions, "What did Van have to say?"

She smirks at his open disrespect but tells him, "He called my father who sent Cliff to talk to him." After explaining who Cliff is, she tells him that, as a lawyer, he was "naturally concerned that Clemmons was accusing me solely on the word of another upset student."

Amused, Logan can just imagine Clemmons having to back down when faced with the Mars family lawyer. "Well that's good then," Logan tells her. "A detention or a suspension would seriously cut into my time with you."

She has to smile at the way he thinks. She leans in and wraps her arm around his waist as they walk. The students in the Quad watch as they walk to her table and sit down together. Logan turns to partially face her and gently brushes the hair from her face with his index finger as they talk. He teases, "Although if you were suspended, I would skip the two days and we would have more time to spend together."

Veronica tilts her head at him and quietly tells him, "Although that does sound nice, my chances at a scholarship would go out the proverbial window if I were suspended."

He leans in a little and observes, "Then I could bring you with me while I travelled the world."

Smiling up at him she says, "My dad would just love that."

His eyes twinkle as he thinks about her father's reaction to his precious daughter foregoing college to travel around the world with him. Slowly he runs his finger down her cheek to her neck and says, "I think we could start in Greece." He watches his fingers as it drifts down the front of her neck to the round neckline of her t-shirt. Leaning in a little closer he adds, "We could rent a villa and enjoy the warm sunshine right on the beach."

Cassidy brings them over a pizza and Logan absently thanks him as he continues to focus on Veronica. She looks over at the quiet, shy Cassablancas and quietly thanks him before she looks back at her boyfriend. Teasing back she whispers, "Would this beach in Greece be a nude beach?"

He gives her a smile that causes her stomach to do a flip-flop as he nods slowly.

Cassidy hears her last comment and sees Logan's reaction before he walks back towards the 09er table.

Perceptive, Veronica sees that something is bothering Logan. She checks, 'Is something bothering you?" Seeing no one is near enough to overhead, she asks, "Is it about your mom? Do you want to talk about it?"

He continues to gently trace the neckline of her t-shirt with his finger. He knows he should not be surprised that Veronica can see that he is upset but he is surprised at how well she can read him sometimes. Slowly nodding he lifts his gaze to hers and adds, "I am still thinking about what I want to do but it is actually something else I need to talk to you about." He lets her see his worry, "Not here though; I would like to talk tonight if we could."

Although she does not really like to talk about emotions, she is smart enough to know that Logan is really concerned about the multitude of issues still between them and she has resigned herself to talking them out slowly. This boy in front of her; this handsome, frustrating, issue-filled guy, means enough to her to get her to try to make their relationship work.

Sitting back at the 09er table, Cassidy looks over and watches Logan and Veronica moon over each other. They haven't even started to eat their pizza yet. He has heard from Dick about how upset Logan was when Ben physically threatened Veronica. He sees his protective attitude towards her and now his tenderness when he gently caresses her cheek. They both thanked him for the pizza and then immediately drifted back into each other. It is clear that their relationship is progressing quickly and Cassidy feels a sense of urgency in his quest to protect his secrets. He absolutely has to break Logan and Veronica up before either finds out his part in her rape. He can only imagine what Logan will do to him if he finds out what happened at Shelley's party. The problem is when he breaks them up, it cannot be traced back to him. He must remain in the shadows. He has to get Logan to break up with Veronica or Veronica to break up with Logan. He looks across the Quad and sees Madison sitting by herself near the cafeteria doors. Smirking a little as he watches her, he thinks he may just have an idea of how to break up the stupidly mismatched, but happy couple.

After surfing Logan picks up supper and heads over to see Veronica. Tonight they will discuss another issue and of course, make out a little. OK, maybe make out a little, then discuss an issue and then hopefully make out some more. Although he knows he is a hormonal teenager, he also is experienced enough to know that he feels more touching Veronica. Truthfully he feels alive with her and he thinks that they can have something really special. He is really worried that he is going to do something stupid, like he is prone to do, and mess up his relationship with Veronica. He does know that right now is the time; right now at the beginning of their relationship is the time to establish honesty and openness between them. He allowed Lilly to hide things from him because he was too afraid of losing her to confront her. He is definitely not going to make that mistake again. He is going to work hard at having a true partnering with Veronica. He is going to teach her to be open physically and she can help him learn to be in a nourishing relationship emotionally. It may be a long and difficult road ahead but he definitely wants it. The trick is to get Veronica with her strong will on board.

Veronica opens the door and smiles at her sexy boyfriend. She is talking on the telephone as she waves him in with her free arm. He steps in and quickly puts the take out bag on the counter before he bends over to pet her dog. Back Up moves his head giving Logan room to rub his neck. Logan smiles as Veronica does that when he kisses towards her neck.

He absently listens to Veronica's part of her phone conversations and he realizes that she is bargaining with someone. He can tell by her face that she is enjoying the conversation; his girl is a master negotiator. Finally she says, "OK, but for that price you need to throw in new spark plugs and a tune up."

Smiling she says, "Cool beans," and hangs up. Logan just looks at her and she sees he is not impressed as he has realized she is talking to Weevil. She puts her phone down and opens the bag pulling out the two containers and putting one on each side of the island. She pulls out the sauces and then efficiently folds up the bag and puts it aside for the recycle bin when they are done.

She walks over to the side of the island where Logan is standing and answers Logan's unspoken question, "Weevil needs some untraceable late slips." Stepping close she adds, "I have a contact in the front office.'

She lifts her face up to his for a kiss and reaches up to pull his head down to her. Logan puts aside his ire in favor of kissing her for a few moments. Logan is just getting into the kiss when Veronica pulls away and cutely says, "I'm starved."

Inwardly shaking his head at her successful attempt to deflect his negative feelings about her association with the criminal element, he thinks that he is really far gone for her already. He smiles a little at her and says, "Let's eat."

After supper Logan walks around the island and helps Veronica put their take out containers in the garbage. He stands directly behind her when she is washing her hands at the sink trapping her between him and the counter top. He reaches around her and washes his hands as well. Afterwards he puts his hands on the counter keeping her close; her back to his front and her body pressed between the lower cabinets and his body.

Leaning down he softly breathes on her neck and then presses several light kisses on her cheek working his way back towards her ear. He is not surprised when she tilts her head giving him better access to her neck and her eyes close as she enjoys his touch.

Taking his time he kisses up to her ear and whispers, "You are so sexy and so beautiful," as he gently bites on her ear lobe. He feels her breath hitch and sees her eyes close at his touch. Logan takes his hands off the counter wrapping one around her resting on her belly pulling her further into his body. The other comes up pulling her hair away from her neck so he can give more attention to it.

After a short time of gently nipping and then sucking on her neck, her arm reaches back and pulls his head to her lips for a kiss. She gives him a kiss that makes his heart rate accelerate and causes him to feel dizzy with the emotions she brings out in him.

He lets her take control of the kiss enjoying the play of her tongue and the press of her lips against his. Gently moving his hand on her abdomen he begins to caress pushing the bottom of her t-shirt up and sliding his hand under to touch her bare skin.

She pulls her lips away from his and takes a much needed breath in. Logan is also breathless but he goes back to tasting the skin on her neck. His other hand runs down the arm she has around his neck, softly caressing until it reaches the soft skin on her flat belly.

Veronica relaxes back against him enjoying the feel of his hands on her skin and the need he is slowly bringing up in her. Duncan and Troy never made her feel so full of want; she needs to be closer to him.

Letting go of him she tries to push away from the counter to get leverage to turn in his arms. Logan keeps her pinned between his body and the cupboards. His voice husky and filled with need, he softly shares, "God Veronica, you are so responsive."

One hand very gently teases her nipple through her bra while the other hand deftly undoes the front clasp of the satin bra releasing her to his touch. He feels her stiffen and he reassures, "It's OK Veronica. I just want to touch you. Nothing more than that is going to happen right now."

Unsure she looks up at him and he covers her mouth with his in a passionate kiss. Veronica is overwhelmed by the feel of him pressed against her from behind, the caress of his hands on her body and his mouth over hers. Heat radiates off him relaxing her and his musky scent is making her feel weak. Veronica feels like she is drowning in bliss.


	15. Chapter 15

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love. Veronica researching the information Logan gave her about his mother, finds out she may be alive and may be living in Paris and tells him. Cassidy, seeing the mismatched couple is becoming close, gets worried._

_Chapter 15_

Logan when he feels her lean against him breaks the kiss and lets one hand caress the soft skin of her abdomen while his other hand teases her nipple. His voice husky with want he leans down and quietly talks, "There is so much I want to do with you…. So much I want to share with you." Nibbling behind her ear he says, "I want you to belong to me and I want to belong to you." He whispers, "Only when you are ready Veronica."

He slides both hands down to her hips and steps back while he turns her to face him. Taking her face in his hands he leans down and kisses her; his tongue plundering her mouth and taking control of the moment.

Although he doesn't want to scare her, he wants to show her that he feels passion for her and he needs her to know that he will stay in control and he will stop. She needs to learn to trust him to lead with their physical relationship.

When the kiss is over Logan takes her hand and places it over his heart. He waits until she opens her eyes and looks at him. She looks well kissed and her eyes are unfocused and dark blue when she opens them to look at him. Logan says, "Can you feel how you affect me?"

She keeps his gaze as she feels his heart beat faster than usual under her hand. She knows her heart is racing as well. He adds, "It's not just physical between us Veronica. I feel more for you."

With his other hand he reaches up and gently pushes her hair behind her ear. His voice is low, his wonderfully expressive brown eyes are soft and she can see that he does care about her. He adds, "You need to understand that you are more; we are more."

Really unsure what to say she just nods.

Gently he says, "I still need to talk to you before I head home. Can we take Back Up for a walk while we talk?"

Nodding she steps back and tells Logan she is going to head to the bathroom before they go out.

Logan takes a deep breath after she leaves the room. It is going to take all his self control to take their physical relationship slow. He is so attracted to her and wants her so much. He heads over to get Back Up's leash off the hook. The dog seeing where he is headed follows him bouncing in excitement.

Veronica splashes cool water on her face and looks at herself in the mirror. She can see that her cheeks are pink and her lips are red from his kisses and touch. The boy is so hot and his kisses make her melt. She honestly can't understand how Lilly could look for other guys when she had a hot, sexy, caring guy like Logan. Thinking about his way with her, she is so moved that he stops their passion before it goes too far. She is aware enough to know that most guys wouldn't. It just shows her that he does care about her.

He was so angry and protective of her today when Ben slammed her locker shut. He had immediately stepped in between them and moved her behind him protecting her. Although she doesn't want him to fight because of her, his protective response was instinctive and she has to believe that he doesn't want her hurt.

They have only been dating a short time and already he means so much to her. It is exciting and it is scary. He hurt her before and it is not easy to believe that he won't hurt her again. The thing is, he also makes her feel so good about herself. Dating him is a risk but right now it is a risk she is willing to take.

Walking on the cool sand in her sandals Veronica holds Logan's hand and watches her dog happily chase the birds that are trying to rest for the night.

Logan laughs lightly and says, "Back Up has a pretty good life."

"Plenty of food and water, a large beach to run on," she agrees.

Logan adds, "A hot blonde to rub his back and bathe him."

Veronica has to laugh and she squeezes Logan's hand. They walk in silence for a while before the tall 09er takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. He says, "Today when Ben slammed your locker shut and yelled at you, I realized that he was so angry that he could have caused you physical harm."

He stops walking and lets go of her hand as he turns and looks out at the water. After a few seconds he shares, "I think about how I turned the school against you and how I let people torment you…" He stops as his voice breaks with his emotions.

Veronica listening is horrified at the direction the conversation is going. She knows they have to talk about the time after Lilly died but part of her doesn't want to deal with their issues. She is really not sure that she is ready to talk about it with him yet. Looking at her friend turned enemy turned boyfriend she can see his upset. She can see that he is trying to get control of his emotions right now.

His voice unsteady, Logan continues, "I was angry. I told myself you deserved the torment." He pauses again and this time it seems that he can't get control of his emotions enough to continue. The obviously upset young man takes a few steps towards the water and bends over. He looks like a runner at the end of a race taking deep breaths trying to get enough air into his oxygen derived body.

Unsure and upset Veronica watches. Part of her wants to turn around and leave. This topic brings up so many emotions in her. The other part of her can see that her boyfriend is deeply disturbed as well.

Finally Logan turns towards her. He stands and takes a deep breath before he tells her, "I never wanted…" He stops and tries again, "It didn't occur to me that you might be physically hurt."

Finally he spits out, "Because I made you a target, Ben was angry enough to get physical with you. His friends were there and would have let him." He adds, "The students watching would have let him."

Veronica can see that his thoughts are chaotic and he is struggling to get his thoughts vocalized. It is clear that he is deeply upset. She is not sure she can stand here any longer.

He meets her gaze and she is startled to see that his eyes have tears. He drops to his knees and leans back relaxing his backside onto his feet. He sighs as he looks at her. "It's stupid and obviously I wasn't thinking but it never occurred to me that anyone would physically hurt you." His tone is defeated and his voice is quiet. Veronica has to concentrate to hear his words against the surf.

Logan sees that the topic is really upsetting her. She is stepping backwards and her arms are wrapped around herself. He raises both his hands up and says, "Wait Veronica. You don't have to say anything. Please just listen. Don't leave yet."

He is gratified to see that she has stopped backing away; although he can see the conversation is really bothering her. "I understand that an apology is not nearly enough but you need to hear the apology Veronica. You deserve to hear that I know I was wrong and I am truly sorry." Logan looks across the space between them and then at the tiny blond who seems even smaller right now. "I was angry and I was a colossal jackass. The school followed me and joined in the torment. It is my fault. I opened the door; I am to blame." He adds, "I was wrong and I know I can't make it up to you." Finally he runs out of steam and finishes with, "I am so, so sorry."

There is a long pause. Logan is not surprised that Veronica is not talking but he wishes with all of his heart that she would. This issue is like a cancer. If it is not cut out or treated, it will eventually be the death of them.

After a long poignant pause, she turns and runs back towards the apartment. Logan sighs and remains almost kneeling in the soft sand. Damn all their issues! Why can't they just be a normal couple that meets and enjoys getting to know each other? Why can't they just have good times and learn to trust each other without all the negativeness?

Back Up, puzzled that his mistress ran off and left him, goes over to Logan and nudges him and then looks up at him in question.

Sighing Logan says, "If you knew how much pain I caused her, you would be ripping out my throat right now."

Sensing Logan's upset, the little man killer nuzzles the upset boy he has always liked. Logan reaches over and rubs his neck.

Logan waited on the beach watching the water; giving himself time to calm down and giving Veronica time alone before he took her dog back to her apartment. When she answered the door he could see that she had been crying. Without waiting for her to speak, he unlocked Back Up from his leash and let him in the door. He folded up the leash and handed it to her.

She didn't meet his gaze when she reached for the leash. With his other hand Logan gently grasped her wrist and pulled her towards him. She looked up at him in surprise and he just enfolded her into his arms and gave her a hug. He knows he is probably the last person who should be trying to make her feel better but right now, Veronica Mars looks like she could use a hug.

Veronica is deeply upset. She only brings the thoughts of how Duncan and Logan treated her and how everyone else treated her out in small doses. Of course it is not good to bury your emotions deep inside you and let them fester for months but she has so much on her plate that she would have collapsed if she didn't push everything deep inside.

Who would she talk to about it anyways? She really has no one besides her father and he has enough to deal with without having to deal with her problems.

She was trying to hold things together until Logan left but a few tears did leak out. When he pulled her to him, his warm touch breached her defenses and she put her face into his chest. She has been so long without comfort that she just seems to get emotional when she gets it.

Logan wraps his arms around her and kisses the top of her head as he holds her. When she starts to cry, he quickly picks her up and carries her over to the couch sitting down with her in his lap. Immediately she curls into him clutching his soft shirt in his little fists and holding on to him like she is never going to let him go.

Sitting there holding her and listening to her cry takes a piece of his heart and crushes it. Out in public she is so put together, so strong; but behind her outward persona, she is a lonely, scared, hurt young woman and he has to live with the fact that he is the cause of a lot of her pain. Right now though, he is going to hold her and let her know she isn't alone anymore.

When she finished crying he encouraged her to get some sleep and he helped her to stand. Facing her, he could see she was emotionally exhausted. He looked down at her and gently said, "Thanks you for letting me apologize. When you are ready to talk, I will listen." He wasn't surprised when she said that she would drive herself to school the next morning. He quietly left locking the door behind him.

Veronica deserved the apology and they had to talk out their issues; sooner rather than later but he hated to see her upset. He hated to make her cry. He wanted to protect her.

The next morning, Veronica arrives at school in her car. She left a little early and headed over towards Pan High to see the bill board that Mr. Ball had to put up when he lost the bet. It turns out she didn't have to drive to Pan High because she passed two billboards with the coach's picture and message on before she even got to the freeway. At first she thought the company put the bill board up in the wrong spot but when she got closer to Neptune High and saw the second poster, she knew that Logan had used his unlimited black Amex to teach the coach a lesson. A smile crosses her face as she thinks about the coach's reaction and she is touched that Logan is indignant on her behalf.

Logan left last night after comforting her. He had been sweet and caring. He accepted her excuse why she would drive herself in the morning even though she could see that he didn't really believe her. He gently kissed her forehead and then told her he would see her for lunch. Then he left her alone. It really impressed her that he left her to think after she finished crying. She was exhausted. It actually felt good to let out some of her emotions. She feel asleep moments after her head hit the pillow and surprisingly, she slept soundly.

The truth is Veronica doesn't want to be around Logan when Sean gets his little surprise this morning; otherwise she would have ridden with him. Their talk does not change the fact that she wants to date Logan. He is inclined to want to deal with all their issues as quickly as possible. He has always been like that. Yet although he is pushing her to deal with their problems, he is sticking to their agreement of one topic per week. He didn't try to force her to talk; he merely asked her to listen. Deep inside she knows he is right. She knows they have to talk out what happened after Lilly died. They have to talk about what happened between them. She is just not ready to open herself up completely right now. Slow works better for her; she feels like she is able to cope if it is not too much at once.

Although she has told Logan that she is targeting the 09ers who went after her, she knows Logan feels like it is his fault that she was tormented and she should just let what they did go. The problem is she wants them to pay. She didn't do anything to them and they really went after her. They chose to harass her and there are consequences even for 09ers and even for friends of Logan's.

No, she has not forgotten the 09er guys who spend so much time and energy tormenting her. Sean is one of the worst ones to her and he is living a lie. It is time for the school to know who he really is. The problem is not that Sean doesn't deserve what is coming to him; the problem is that she is putting Logan into the middle.

Logan walks into the school with a spring in his step. He is really pleased to see the bill boards are all up. They are large, bright and worth every penny. He smirks as he thinks about Mr. Ball's reaction to finding out that the billboards of him admitting that the Pan High chess coach is better than him are all over town. He is also looking forward to one of his pranks from Veronica's retribution list coming to fruition tomorrow. Even DK had to admit Logan's idea was appropriate. If Duncan's humiliation of Ben would have made Lilly proud, Logan's choice of punishment for one Adam Thomas would have made Lilly scream with laughter.

Although he is a little worried about how upset Veronica got last night, he is really relieved that he got to apologize. He isn't fooling himself that she is going to forgive him easily but he needed to clear the air and start with the apology. They need to build their relationship on solid ground. The old debris needs to be dealt with.

Logan had called his best friend after he got home from seeing Veronica last night. He and DK had talked about the pros and cons of letting the school know that they are the ones doing the pranks. Duncan felt that Logan's protective reaction was enough; the school definitely knew that Veronica is not to be messed with. He still felt that it would be better if no one knew for sure who was doing the pranks. It was better if they suspected but didn't really know. They decided to have the next prank one that no one would associate with Veronica. The school would then be guessing who is did the prank and would not automatically think it was Veronica when the next few pranks were done. At the end of their conversation, Logan told his best friend that he had apologized to Veronica and that she had cried.

Duncan had been upset that she was still hurting so much. Logan pressed, "She has no one to talk to Duncan. She needs her brother." Duncan was quiet and then told Logan he would think about telling Veronica the truth.

As he walks up the hallway towards his locker he sees Dick walking up the hall towards him watching something on his phone. Dick is laughing loudly at whatever is playing on his phone.

Logan looks in question at him and Dick says, "Dude have you checked your email today?"

Shaking his head negatively, Logan asks what is going on. John accesses his email and shows Logan the note that he received titled Fake 09er Exposed. John opens it and it is a link to a video on You Tube. John opens the video and hands his phone to Logan who watches as the video shows a dark haired young man standing with a butler and maid. The birth certificate comes up and Logan quickly sees that it is Sean's birth certificate. It clearly shows that his last name is not Fredrich. The scene changes and Logan watches as Sean is helping the butler wash and clean the cars. In the next scene Mr. Fredrich comes out of the mansion followed by Sean who is wearing a driver's uniform complete with a hat. He is carrying Mr. Fredrich's suitcase which he puts in the trunk. He then goes over and holds open the back door of the limo waiting while Mr. Fredrich says goodbye to his wife who has come out to the porch. Before the owner of the mansion gets in the back of the limousine, he curtly tells Sean that he wants to stop at his office before he goes to the airport. Sean briskly and respectfully says, "Yes sir." Sean shuts the limo door and gets in to drive the car. The final screen flashes 'Meet Sean Hatcher. He is not an 09er. He is the son of a butler and a maid.'

Logan immediately knows that this is Veronica's doing. Obviously Sean is on her 09er retribution list. He doesn't know what to think about her getting back at the 09ers when she is dating him.

Truthfully Logan has never cared for Sean. That said, it doesn't matter to him if Sean is rich or not. He has been part of the 09er group for years. He doesn't care if his parents are the butler and maid. It is obvious though that Sean will care. The burly, dark haired young man has carefully cultivated his uber rich persona and he is the snobbiest kid in the school. He is the most vocal if any non 09er comes into the group. Sean is the male version of Madison Sinclair. He treats non 09ers aggressively and negatively. They are going to be most vocal regarding his lineage. When Lilly and Veronica became friends, Sean was the only guy who did not want her to be included in the excusive 09er group. Lilly had overridden him of course. Now Logan wonders why Sean was such an ass to Veronica about her lack of money over the years. Why did he try to keep all other non 09ers out of the group? Why did he lie all those years?

Logan is brought out of his thoughts by John's indignant words, "No wonder he is such a tightwad."

Logan laughs at John's tone and the rest of the 09er guys seeing that their leader is actually amused, join in.

Dick slaps the shorter 09er's shoulder and says, "It makes more sense why the guy from the biggest house in the 09er district won't part with a dollar."

Smiling Logan has to agree. Not willing to alienate a guy he has known since he moved to Neptune, Logan adds, "He's a pretty good surfer."

The guys agree. Dick comments, "It's a pussy way to act though; pretending to be one of the richest guys in the school."

Sean's friends all nod. He does have a lot of explaining to do.

Cassidy standing on the sideline as usual sees an opportunity to get Sean out of the way. Sean is one of the two 09ers who knows that he was left in the room at Shelly's party with an unconscious Veronica. If Sean was gone, it would be one less person to worry about exposing what happened to Veronica that night.

He steps forward and says quietly, "He gets a ride in the limo to and from school. He probably doesn't own a car." The guys look at him when he adds, "He was one of the guys who did the most damage to Veronica's car. He didn't care that she couldn't pay."

Logan hands John's phone back to him and points out, "Well it appears that he has now run into payback Veronica Mars style."

The guys all look at Logan in surprise. Dick says, "Dude, you think Veronica did this."

Logan smirks and the guys can see that he is impressed at his girlfriend's method of retribution. He shrugs and says, "I guess I am attracted to girls who are geniuses at revenge. No one could get back at someone like Lilly but Veronica is a close second."

He smiles a little as he thinks about how Lilly would completely devastate someone who pissed her off and now Veronica has exposed Sean's lies to the whole school. He has been a complete dick to the non 09ers and Logan has a feeling that Sean is going to get his attitude back in spades.

The leader of the 09ers starts to walk towards his locker and the guys follow. John asks, "What are you going to do about Veronica targeting Sean?"

Shaking his head he says, "I imagine that Veronica has a list of people that she is going to deliver payback to."

Dick in his own way gets to the crux of the matter, "Dude, I thought that our feud with her was over."

Logan stops and looks at his friend and reiterates, "It is. No one bothers her now." He shrugs and meets the other 09ers' gazes as he adds, "But the tiny blond is not really one to forgive and forget."

He resumes the walk towards his locker. John obviously worried asks, "Do you think we are on her list?"

Logan has to laugh. He advises, "If I were you, I would find some way to appease her." He adds as he walks, "Did you know that Mars was the Roman God of War?"

Puzzled Dick points out, "You were the worst to her."

Nodding his agreement Logan says, "I was a real asshole to her." He adds quietly, "I am making it up to her now."

John points out, "It isn't fair that she can get us now and we can't touch her."

Instantly pissed Logan turns to him and angrily says, "Yeah well when everyone was picking on her, I didn't hear you say that it wasn't fair for her."

He looks at them all for a second before he finishes, "Anyone that bothers Veronica is taking me on."

His look leaves no doubt that he is not going to tolerate anyone upsetting his girlfriend. He turns and walks the last few feet to his locker leaving the guys to head to their lockers.

The 09er guys walk to their respective lockers each wondering if Veronica is going to target them. She can be a complete bitch and will not hesitate to ruin your life. Look at how she totally destroyed Sean today.

At lunch Logan waits for Veronica beside her locker. When she doesn't arrive, he texts her. As he is waiting anxiously for her to text him back, Meg walks by and sees Logan waiting for his girlfriend. A little hesitantly she goes over and stands in front of the dark haired 09er.

He nods at her in greeting, "Meg."

She smiles tentatively and says, "I think Veronica left."

Logan frowns but before he can comment, Meg adds, "Can we talk, alone?"

About to make a sarcastic comment about Meg finally admitting she wants him, Logan stops when he sees the worry on her face. Standing he motions to an empty classroom and then follows Meg in. He watches while she shuts the door and then walks over to stand in front of him.

Meg looks at Logan and wonders how to word what she wants to talk to him about. She has known him since he moved to Neptune when he was in middle school but she has never felt close enough to him to actually have a real conversation.

Finally she says, "I have third period with Veronica. As I was leaving the class, Sean pushed his way in to talk to her. He was really upset."

Immediately worried Logan asks, "Did he hurt her?"

Meg tells Logan how the teacher was gone and how she was alone in there with him. Obviously upset Meg talks about how Sean didn't touch her but he was really mad and it looked like he was threatening her.

Logan's face darkens and Meg says, "Veronica stood up to him but at the end he said something to her and left the room. He kept his voice low but I heard him say 'Shelley's party' and then he left." She pauses and then tells Logan that Veronica looked like she was going to cry and then she ran out of the room and out the door to the parking lot.

The 09er immediately takes a step towards the door himself. He is going to try and find her.

The pretty blond puts out her hand to stop Logan saying, "Wait." Logan does look at her and she starts, "I wasn't a good friend to Veronica after Lilly died." She looks really embarrassed as she confesses, "I was worried that everyone would turn on me if I was her friend so I just stayed away."

Logan can see that Meg is upset with herself. He can understand how she felt. It would take a strong person to commit social suicide and be friends with Veronica. He had really tried to make her friendless and alone; it appears he succeeded.

He comes back to Meg's voice as she talks about how after Cole broke up with her and the fake purity test score was painted on her locker, the school turned against her and it was awful. Her voice is a little shaky as she looks at Logan and shares, "Veronica was the only one who stood by me. She found out who faked my test and she cleared my name."

Logan had been away for that but he had heard about it. She says, "I have to tell you something but I need to know that it will go no further than you." She meets his gaze and tells him meaningfully, "It is about Veronica."

Logan nods and promises, "I will keep it to myself."

She hesitates and Logan seeing that Meg is worried that he can't be trusted with the information says, "Look Meg, I know I was a total jackass to her. I know I was wrong. I am really sorry. I am going to be there for her now no matter how our relationship turns out."

There is a short silence and then Logan meets her gaze and shares, "I know I didn't deserve it but she was there for me when my mother…..left." He shakes his head a little and adds, "I needed her and she was there for me even when most people would have left me to handle it alone."

Meg is a little disconcerted to see the young man behind the jackass. She thinks about how upset Veronica looked when she ran out of the classroom. Meg doubts Veronica even saw her standing there. This is too much for Veronica to handle alone. She needs someone there for her.

Logan watches as Meg seems to come to some decision and she says, "Veronica asked me in confidence last week what I remembered about Shelly's party last year." She pauses and then adds, "Specifically about what I remember happening to her."

Meg tells Logan about what she told Veronica and then adds, "Veronica said she can't remember." Logan looks at Meg and sees that she looks a little sick about what she has to tell him. It is obvious that whatever she is going to tell him is not good news. She almost whispers, "I told her that everyone has those embarrassing parties where they got too drunk. She told me she only had one drink."

Meg draws in a shaky breath and looks at Logan. She finishes, "I think she was drugged and something bad happened to her there."

Logan immediately catches on and he recoils as he thinks about how he used her for a salt lick. After Duncan rescued her and he drugged him, he left the party. He needs to find out what happened to her after he left.

He looks at Meg and demands, "Tell me everything you remember from that night."

Meg sighs a little in relief. Logan has been horrible to Veronica but it is obvious that he cares about her and will protect her now. She had not known whether to tell Logan what she knew. It's just that Veronica needs someone to help her and Logan seems to be strong enough to handle her.

After Meg tells Logan everything she remembers and who she remembers being at the party, Logan gently pats her shoulder and says, "Thanks Meg."

Meg watches as he leaves the classroom and turns right towards the parking lot. She hopes he finds Veronica.

As it turns out Logan does not find Veronica. Her car is not in the parking lot and he worried about her driving while she is upset. She is not at home or the beach. He drives by the office and she is not there either. At a loss he racks his brain on where she would go if she was upset and he can't think of anywhere to look.

He has called and texted her a few times and it is clear now that she is not answering. He is sick at the idea that Sean tormented her about what happened to her that night. She has known for a week about the salt lick that he started on her. She hasn't said anything to him about it. It worries him how she can compartmentalize her emotions. She should have refused to even look at him once she heard from Meg about the salt lick.

Now he can't find her. He thinks about what to do. His choices are limited. He can't really go to her father and she really doesn't have any other friends. Then it hits him. He knows exactly where she had gone. She has gone to see her only real friend.

Logan turns the Xterra around and heads to Neptune Cemetery.


	16. Chapter 16

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love. Veronica researching the information Logan gave her about his mother, finds out she may be alive and may be living in Paris and tells him. Cassidy, seeing the mismatched couple is becoming close, gets worried. Separately Logan and Veronica are finding out what happened the night of Shelley's party._

After lunch, Cassidy leaves the quad and follows Madison into the school. He waits until she goes into the music room and he follows her in there. It is show time.

Across town Logan drives through the ornate black wrought iron gates and quickly looks around the parking lot. It is not very busy this time of day and he instantly spots Veronica's LeBaron parked near the entrance to the new part of the cemetery. He parks beside her car and then slowly gets out and walks on the paved pathway through the grave site area. The trees are not as big as the other side but really the occupants have nothing but time to wait for the trees to grow and the flowering shrubs to cycle through blooming and then losing their fragrant blossoms. Logan can see that eventually this side of the cemetery is going to be just as beautiful and peaceful as the other side.

He looks around as he walks. It all looks new to him even though he must have seen it all before when he was here for Lilly's funeral; he just really doesn't remember. That day; that horrific, blindingly painful day, is just a blur to him. He remembers the vacant look on Duncan's face, Jake Kane's crumbling façade and Celeste's stoic manner. He also remembers Veronica's pain. She was crying and leaned into her father for support.

It's ironic because when Keith was removed from office, Logan made sure that all Veronica had was Keith. If she was going to choose to stand by him after he hurt the Kane Family, then she would have to learn to be alone. Well she did learn to be alone and now Logan wants her to let him in. Yeah life can be a bitch and then you die. Ask all the people buried in the ground with the beautiful headstones.

The worried young man is forced to wander through this part of the cemetery to find Veronica because he really can't remember where Lilly is buried. He did not come here after she was buried partly because it is a cemetery and who really wants to be here? Mostly, he doesn't come because he can't bear to think of Lilly in the ground. Lilly doesn't belong here.

Glancing at the headstones Logan sees that most of the dates depict an elderly person's resting place but every so often there is a child buried. Every so often there is someone who was taken way before their time; before the years, hours, minutes and seconds one thinks he is entitled to just because he is born are used up.

Finally after a few minutes walking, Logan sees Veronica sitting on a grassy area beside Lilly's grave. She is facing the headstone and she is sitting with her feet to the side and tucked under her. It is the position she always sat in when she and Lilly were on her bed talking.

Logan looks to his left and there is a bench in the shade for him to sit on. He walks over there and sits down relaxing back against the back rest. It is cooler here and he has a good view of Veronica. There is no way he is going to go over and interrupt Veronica talking to Lilly. He has to smile a little as he thinks about all the hours he spent watching Lilly and Veronica talk.

_Back at Neptune High_

Cassidy frowns as he looks at his brother's ex-girlfriend. He pastes a slightly concerned expression on his face as he comments, "It isn't fair that you have to leave the group because of Veronica Mars. I just thought you might want back in."

He turns and walks away. The less time spent with her the better. A small smile graces his face; he is pretty confident the self absorbed 09er princess will take the bait. When the blow up happens, he will not be anywhere near the injury zone. With any luck, Logan and Veronica will be broken up by the end of the week and he won't have to worry anymore.

_Neptune __Cemetery_

For a long time he sits there letting his mind wander. At first he thinks about times that he was with both Lilly and Veronica. His frame of reference for those times has changed now that he knows that they were half sisters. Lilly was the more vivacious and wild of the sisters; Veronica the more quiet and studious. Although they were both blonde, under their outer shells, they were very different in more than temperament. Lilly grew up feeling unloved and unworthy; Veronica grew up loved by both her parents. Even though her mother would ultimately leave her, her childhood was secure and steady. Lilly controlled her life through men and Veronica lost control of her life because of men.

Being here is affecting the tall, dark haired young man. His thoughts drift to the girl who meant so much to him. He learned a lot about a woman's body from Lilly. They were both relatively inexperienced when they started dating but what they lacked in knowledge, they made up for in passion and enthusiasm. He will always remember those times with Lilly. Their relationship was excitement personified and he loved it. In the end they were both skilled sexually but there was no warmth or love between them. The emotions, at least on her part, were not there anymore and it took him way too long to realize that.

In reality Logan looks back on his time with Lilly and thinks about how pathetic he was to let her treat him like he didn't matter. She didn't care if she made him look foolish in front of the school and when she threw other guys in his face, she didn't worry if she was hurting him. She just did what she wanted and to hell with how it affected anyone else.

With the clarity of hindsight, Logan can see that the only people she truly cared about were Duncan and Veronica. She may have teased DK calling him Donut and little brother but she was fiercely protective of him as well. It was the same with Veronica. If Veronica was upset, Lilly would move mountains to try and make her feel better. He thinks about how Veronica's mother started forgetting to pick her up, going out late and sleeping in until noon. Veronica was hurt, confused and worried about her mother. Lilly started having the Kane driver pick Veronica up on the way to school. She said it was because she must see her best friend in the morning and they must both dress fabulously but Logan knows it was because Lilly didn't want Veronica to worry about how to get to school. A lot of Lilly's important shopping trips that Veronica just had to accompany her on, were ways for Lilly to spend time with her best friend and to get Veronica's mind off her home troubles.

Watching Veronica sit at Lilly's grave site talking to her best friend, he can see that Veronica loved Lilly. He is angry with Mr. Mars for going after the Kane Family when they were dealing with losing Lilly but he was really wrong to punish Veronica; he can see that now. All she did was love her best friend and the man she thinks of as her father. Now because of his anger, Veronica has been physically hurt and the only person she can talk to is her dead best friend. He wonders how often she comes to see Lilly. He also wonders if Veronica feels better after visiting Lilly.

Looking across the rows of graves, Logan thinks about the last time he was here to bury his mother. He had been in so much pain. He was so close to losing it after his mother's service. Then he had spotted Veronica and the pain in his chest had eased just a little. It wasn't much but it was enough to give him some control back and allow him to get through the day.

Veronica had been amazing. He still remembers the feel of her in his arms in the limo. She had reached over and hugged him; holding him to her and putting her head on his chest. Her arms had been surprisingly strong and her warmth had lessened the anxiety he felt. It was the first real contact in a long time he had just for comfort. That is what he misses the most about his mother; her wonderful hugs.

Now with his mother gone, the only person who can make him feel better is Veronica. That isn't why he wants to date her though. He is very attracted to her. He wants to make love with her. He wants to be inside her. He imagines how incredible it will feel when he can make love with her. However it is the feelings he gets kissing her, holding her and just talking to her that touch his heart. She feels like home to him now.

He knows that Veronica coming from a loving home does not understand his desire for comfort and love. Now he sees why Lilly loved Veronica so much. She didn't feel love or acceptance at home but she felt it with Veronica.

He can see now that he has made a lot of mistakes. He didn't support his mother enough and she is gone. He did not handle his relationship with Lilly properly. He didn't see her deep pain; he wasn't a good boyfriend to her. He let her hide her true feelings. He let her run their relationship and he wasn't strong enough for her; he gets that now. Time and distance has helped him see his relationship with Lilly clearer. She didn't love him enough to let him in.

When he and his counselor discussed the mistakes the protagonist of the book made in his life, she was using the book to get across her point that he had to think about what he wanted and set goals for the future. Logan though, was most struck by how the main character could never open himself up for any one that loved him. It was like he had closed the doors on what happened to him and he was too afraid of all the pain that would come out if he opened those doors. Instead he kept the door closed and didn't deal with the pain. It worked but the other side of the closed door is that he didn't let the love in either.

The main character initially reminded him of Lilly and then himself to some degree. The difference for Logan was he really has no one to open the doors up with. Now he is worried that Veronica has closed part of herself off and is not open to love. He is hoping that like him she has no one to help her deal with her issues. He hopes that once she trusts that she has him to help, she will open the door and deal with the problems that are there. In turn, he really hopes that she will help him deal with the problems he has hidden deep inside. He and Veronica together might be able to deal with the past pain and any present pain. Then maybe they both could let love in. The chances are probably not good for that but Logan wants to try. He really needs to get Veronica on board with it. Once she has the same goal, the chances double. First step: show Veronica that he can and will be there for her.

He wishes he could go back and change things. Like the main character in the book, Logan let so many bad situations go on too long. If he hadn't, his mother might be with him. If he had been stronger, Lilly might be alive now. If he hadn't reacted so badly after Lilly died then he would have been able to support Duncan and helped him get over the loss of his sister. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have been more support to Veronica.

You can't go back; you can only go forward. All he can do is be better now. He can be a strong support for Veronica. He is messed up but he knows that he can be a good boyfriend now. He will be there for her, support her and care for her. His mother and Lilly hid from him and he let them. He never made them face their issues and now they are both gone.

Although his mother may be alive, she is essentially gone to him. She left him with a man she knows abuses him. She got out and didn't take him. She got out and started new in another country. She got out for herself but she couldn't or wouldn't help him. He has to accept that he is alone. The only thing he can do for his mother now is to let her go. He has asked Jake Kane to find out if she is alive but keep it completely secret. Once he knows for sure she is alive, he is going to let her try and be happy away from the hell Aaron made her life. It is selfish for him to want her back; that is best for him but not for her. Maybe if she is alive, he can reconnect with her after he has graduated from high school. He will be eighteen then and have control of his trust fund. He will be able to get away from his father.

He can try and be a better best friend to Duncan as well. His friend is really hurting and needs him. He is going to be there for him now like he should have all along.

Now he has found Veronica again. It is early but he can see her in his life. He can see having her as his best friend, lover and eventually maybe more. Right now though he needs to work with her and get over their past and learn to be a team.

Logan looks up at the sky. There are occasional, lazy, white clouds drifting with the wind but otherwise it is a clear blue sky. It is a typically beautiful California day. He takes a few seconds to think about how great it would be to be out surfing. Lately he has needed to be out on the waves more than usual. He loves it out there but being out there also helps clear his mind. He is able to forget his problems and just go one wave at a time.

As he looks back at Veronica he sees that she is getting ready to leave. He stays where he is. Unless she is planning on walking through the grave area, she will take the path that walks by him. He will wait for her.

Veronica gets up. She is emotionally exhausted and she is really hurting. Sean's vindictive, angry comments have brought up all the emotions of the day after her rape. Sean gleefully admitted that he was one of the guys that saw who raped her. In fact he helped set it up. His punishment for her was not to tell her who or how many guys raped her.

When she turns, she is surprised and unhappy to see Logan sitting there waiting for her. Part of her wants to turn and walk the other way. Why doesn't he understand that sometimes she just needs to be alone?

Resigned to the idea that she has to talk to him for at least a minute, Veronica walks over to the bench where Logan is sitting. "Hey."

Correctly interpreting her disgruntlement that he followed her, Logan stays sitting and comments, "I haven't been back here since Lilly's funeral." He adds, "At least to this side of the cemetery."

Immediately she understands that the last time he was here, he was burying his mother. Of course her empty grave is on the other side of the cemetery as years ago Aaron bought two huge plots and had a fence put around them so he and his beloved wife could be together for eternity.

Part of her agitation deflates. Sighing she asks, "How long have you been here?"

He looks at his watch and answers easily, "About an hour."

Surprised at his answer, she asks, "Why didn't you come over?"

Smirking Logan responds, "I am used to waiting for you and Lilly."

The tiny blond has to give it to him; this boy really knows how to disarm her. She takes a deep breath and ventures, "What are you doing here?"

Leaning forward he puts his elbows on his knees and looks at the ground for a few seconds before he looks up at her and answers, "I was waiting at your locker for you and Meg told me you left the school." He pauses and adds, "She told me how Sean confronted you and you left the school almost in tears." He looks up the pathway and adds, "She was worried about you."

Almost conversationally he shares, "I was torn between seeing if you were OK and going to beat up Sean for making you cry." Leaning back he finishes, "You won, hands down." Slowly he opens his arms for her.

It seems to Veronica that Logan knows just what to do to get to her. Seeing his open arms and soft open caring expression, the emotions rise to the surface again. She bites her bottom lip to stop the tears but her eyes fill up.

Logan wanting to comfort her softly begs, "Come here Veronica. Let me hold you."

Dropping her bag she steps over and sits next to him. He immediately wraps her tightly in his arms and puts his chin on her head tucking her securely to him.

After a few minutes Veronica wraps her arms around Logan and holds him as tightly as he is holding her. Logan can feel her shaking against him but he doesn't do anything but rub her back and gently caress her neck.

Veronica doesn't know how Logan knew she was there or what to think about him waiting for her. She only knows that right now she needs her friend Logan. She is surprised to find that he doesn't ask any questions. He just holds her and lets her wet the front of his expensive shirt without any comment or complaint.

Finally she pulls away from him and looks up at him. She sees only caring and a little worry. He doesn't say a word; he just meets her gaze. Exhausted emotionally and physically she tells him, "I don't want to talk about anything right now."

Gently he caresses her cheek and agrees, "OK. Are you hungry?"

Disarmed by his support, she looks up at him in wonder. He offers, "I could pick up something to eat and some movies and meet you at your apartment. We could just have a movie night."

Nodding her agreement she sighs, "I'm going to need ice cream and popcorn."

He smiles back at her and teases, "Of course I won't forget the ice cream." He pulls away and stands up putting his hand down to assist her to stand. Then he goes over and gets her messenger bag and hands it to her.

Tentatively she smiles at him back. After a small hesitation, she adds, "Thanks."

"Anytime," he reassures her as he leans down and kisses her forehead. Then he wraps his arm around her shoulder and leads her towards the parking lot.

Keith Mars arrives home after work and is greeted by the sight of Logan Echolls sitting on his couch with his daughter cuddled next to him. There are two buckets of ice cream with spoons in them as well as a plethy of junk food in bowls on the coffee table. The two teenagers are watching a movie.

Veronica seeing her father reaches over and grabs the remote to pause the movie. She looks over at her father and says, "There is leftover Chinese food in the fridge for you."

"Good," he comments. He adds, "Hello Logan."

The young man nods and respectfully answers, "Hello Mr. Mars."

Keith is used to assessing a situation when he enters a room. Looking at his daughter he can see that she is upset. She is not wearing any make up, her hair is pulled back with a hair band and she just seems to be leaning into Logan. Although he doesn't know Logan as well, he looks like he is protective of Veronica. Keith guesses that Logan is looking after Veronica; Chinese take out, ice cream with all the fixings and funny movies.

His internal radar tells him that something is wrong. But today he didn't need his radar as Veronica's school called him that Veronica was not present during the afternoon classes. He reassured them that Veronica was away with his permission and apologized for not calling them.

Then he accessed the GPS chip in her cell phone only to find out that she was at the Neptune Cemetery. He correctly guessed that she was visiting Lilly's grave. He drove over there only to find that Logan and Veronica were sitting together on a bench not too far from Lilly's gravesite. Logan was holding Veronica while she cried.

Keith's first instinct was to rush over there and hold his crying daughter himself but he held back. Even from a distance Keith could see that Logan was going to be there and help Veronica.

Since they both loved Lilly perhaps he was the best one to help Veronica. His daughter hasn't confided in him how she is doing without her best friend. Keith knows she is changing and he is really worried. She has become hard and closed. He understands that a lot of teenage girls have secrets from their fathers. He is angry with Lianne for leaving Veronica right when a girl needs her mother. Keith Mars can take down an angry bail jumper with no worries but dealing with teenage girl problems scares him.

Still he has tried to be there for the daughter he loves. He has to hope that she will come to him if she needs him. He has to step back and let others help her. Veronica was there for Logan when his mother died and there is definitely a bond between them now. Perhaps it is Logan's turn to be there for Veronica.

So Keith goes over to the fridge and gets out the leftover Chinese food and heats it up for his dinner. All the while he watches while Veronica restarts the movie and leans back into Logan to watch. He has his feet up on the coffee table and is relaxed back into the soft cushions of the couch. His arm is around Veronica who is curled up beside him leaning against him as they watch the movie together.

A few minutes later Keith is sitting at the counter of the island reading the paper when he hears his daughter giggling and Logan laughing at something on the screen. He has to admit they look happy together.

A half hour later the movie ends and Logan looks at his watch and says, "I'm going to head out."

He pulls Veronica closer and gives her a hug before he pulls them both forward to the edge of the couch. He lets go of her and stands. He reaches down and helps her up and then bends over picking up the ice cream buckets. He tells Veronica that he will pick her up for school the next day.

Keith watches as Veronica picks up a couple bowls of treats and leads Logan over to the island. She puts her bowls on the counter and then takes the ice cream from Logan and walks them over to the sink setting them there to rinse out for recycling.

She walks back over to the coffee table and picks up a couple more bowls and hands them to Logan who has followed her. She picks up their bottled waters and trails behind her boyfriend back to the kitchen area. Logan puts the bowls on the island with the other leftover candy and Veronica puts their waters into the recycle bin.

Looking at all the candy on the island she says, "Let's take Back Up for a quick walk before you go." She adds, "I'll put the candy away later."

Nodding his agreement Logan goes over to the door and puts on his shoes while Veronica picks up her phone off the coffee table and puts it in her pocket. She slips her tiny feet into her shoes while Logan gets Back Up's leash off the rack.

Perceptive Back Up sees that they are taking him with them and bounds excitedly around their feet. Logan puts his hand on Veronica's elbow automatically steadying her when the solid dog's rear end inadvertently bumped into her.

Bending down to hook the leash on Back Up's collar, Logan chides, "You need to be more of a gentleman." He rubs his neck for a few seconds before he stands. "You'll never win a girl's heart just by being cute."

Veronica giggles and says, "Who taught you that piece of wisdom?"

Immediately Logan answers, "My mother taught me the importance of manners."

Logan opens the door holding Back Up back while Veronica walks out ahead of him. They both absently call out a good bye to Keith who is still sitting at the island watching the two teenagers interact.

Before the door shuts Keith hears a laughing Veronica tease Logan, "Your mother would be very proud of you then."

Their comfort with each other speaks volumes to the concerned father sitting at the island. These two are fast becoming a team.

When they get down to the beach and let the excited dog off the leash to run around, Logan asks, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

His girlfriend looks at him in surprise and question. Logan makes a quick face at her and says, "Please, you got me outside to tell me something you couldn't talk about in front of your dad."

Walking to stand in front of him she moves close and leans into him letting him support some of her weight. She wraps her arms around and looks up at him.

He smiles at her flirty expression. She quietly teases, "Maybe I just wanted to be alone with my super hot boyfriend so I could kiss him."

"Carry on then," he immediately encourages.

Laughing up at his predictable answer she pulls her arms out from around his waist and reaches up to wrap them around his neck. She stands on her tippy toes to get closer to his lips.

He leans down and kisses her wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.

If she wanted to kiss him then she had the last few hours while they gorged on Chinese food, ice cream, candy and popcorn. Although he knows she wants to talk to him about something, he is quite willing to kiss her now.

As the two teenagers walk back towards the apartment, Veronica stops on the stairs and turns around to face Logan. She is a couple of stairs up so they are close to the same height. She lets go of Back Up's leash knowing he will go to the door of her apartment and lay there waiting for her.

Veronica meets her boyfriend's gaze and tentatively says, "I need you to leave Sean alone."

"What?" he exclaims, "No, if he hurt you, I am going to talk to him."

Reaching up she puts a hand softly on his bicep and rubs the muscle through his shirt. She takes a deep breath and tells him, "I am going to handle Sean." Unsure how he is going to react she adds, "I need some information from him."

Immediately Logan disagrees, "I will talk to him. He is more likely to give me the information."

This was what she was worried about. Logan is the leader of the 09ers and he will want to handle one of his own himself. She can understand and respect that but he doesn't understand what is at stake here. He will be operating blindly and it is better if he stays out of it.

Veronica meets his gaze and says, "Logan I am asking you to stay out of it."

Instantly agitated he shakes his head and says, "I can't. I am the reason that he picked on you. I made you a target. You can't tell me to stay out of it now. I need to make things right."

The independent young woman is deeply touched by his admission. He feels badly about his part in her torment and he wants to help her. The problem is she needs someone outside of the 09ers to help her get the information. She can't have anyone who was at Shelley's party involved in her investigation.

Although she can see that Logan is willing to talk to Sean and the rest of his 09er friends for her, the real issue is the other 09ers will find out within ten seconds of the first questions he asks. The guilty party or parties will be forewarned that she is investigating what happened at Shelley's party.

The other thing is Logan may ask one of the guys who was involved in her rape to help him investigate because he is friends with the 09er guys and trusts them. How does she make him understand that he is too close to them to be of help to her right now? The question is what to tell him?

Finally Veronica settles for, "The reason you can't be involved is you don't know what questions to ask."

Logan is not convinced. He points out, "Sean has known me for years and he will be more inclined to answer my questions rather than yours. Right now he hates you."

Immediately she shakes her head and counters, "He knows we are dating. He is not going to be honest with you because he will know that it will upset you." Sighing she says, "Besides I am not going to be asking the questions. I am just going to be listening to the answers."

When she sees that Logan is going to ask her what she means, she shakes her head and says, "Right now I am not going to tell you what I have planned."

Logan is hurt that she is getting someone else to help her but part of him knows that he deserves her lack of trust.

The observant young woman shakes her head at Logan and then says, "This whole situation is messy. I need to know information. Your friends have the information I am looking for. You have to stay on the outside while I find out what I need to know."

He is defensive and upset. "You think I am involved."

She stops him before he can continue and says, "No. I don't know who is involved yet. That is the issue. I don't think you are involved Logan but I don't know who you can trust to talk to. If you start asking questions, the rest of your friends will hear and the information I need will be more difficult to get." She meets his gaze and finishes, "You might accidently hurt the investigation."

Logan takes a deep breath and lets it out audibly. He checks, "You are sure that it is an 09er you are looking for?"

She nods. Logan thinks for a few seconds and then asks, "Is this investigation about the people in level 6 of your retribution scale?"

Unhappy at the turn the conversation is taking, she nods again reluctantly.

"How do you know I am not involved?" he asks.

To his horror tears immediately appear in her beautiful blue eyes. She says, "I believe you aren't but it is an investigation. I am going to find out who is involved and punish them no matter who it is."

Finally he asks the most important question, "If you don't think I am involved, why won't you let me help you?"

When she doesn't answer he says, "You don't fully trust me yet Veronica. You are not 100% sure I am not involved in whatever happened to you."

She can see he is hurt but he is right. She doesn't 100% trust him right now. She whispers, "I am trying Logan but you are right, I don't fully trust you yet."


	17. Chapter 17

_So Far: In this Season 1 AU story. Logan, upset and hurting at his mother's funeral, gets Veronica to help him get through the day. He decides Veronica might be Philotes the Spirit of Friendship from Greek Mythology. They decide to date. Logan begins to realize that he didn't really grasp the extent of how socially isolated he made her. He learns the real story about why Duncan broke up with Veronica and agrees to keep his secret. Slowly the couple works on their relationship. Veronica stiffens during a make out session. She learns that Logan thinks she is a virgin and he in turn, by her reaction to their make out session, suspects she has been raped. Now he is determined to win Veronica's love. Veronica researching the information Logan gave her about his mother, finds out she may be alive and may be living in Paris and tells him. Cassidy, seeing the mismatched couple is becoming close, gets worried. Separately Logan and Veronica are finding out what happened the night of Shelley's party._

The obviously upset petit teenager looks up the stairs for a few seconds and then back at Logan. He watches as she takes a deep breath in and lets it out slowly. He can feel his heart beat racing in his agitation and he consciously tries to relax. Difficult as this conversation may be, it is definitely needed. He waits for her to talk.

"Before Lilly died I trusted you, Lilly and Duncan. I knew that you guys were my true friends." She swallows and then continues although her voice quavers slightly, "Then Duncan started ignoring me. I didn't even warrant a real breakup." She looks down for a few seconds and then adds quietly, "Then you turned away from me and…."

It is telling to Logan that she stops before she talks about how he treated her after her father was removed from office. His brown eyes remain focused on her looking for non verbal cues on her feelings or thoughts. Veronica is opening the door and letting him in a little. She is letting some of the hurt out and giving them a chance to deal with it. It is just really painful to hear that she doesn't trust him anymore; even if he deserves it.

When the silence continues long enough for Logan to see that Veronica is not planning to say anymore, he reaches over and lifts her chin so he can see her face. As he expected, he can see she is really hurting. Softly he tells her, "I was wrong to blame you. I wasn't a good friend to you. I let my anger and hurt get out of control after Lilly died." Wryly he confides, "I handled things the Echolls way; by getting angry or drunk."

There is a long silence as Veronica processes her boyfriend's words and Logan tries to think about how he can best word what he has to say. Finally his words come quickly and forcefully, "I wish I could go back. I wish I had been there for all of you." His eyes darken and he spits out, "I have so many regrets."

Although she is surprised at the emotions in his words, Veronica finds she is not afraid; she can see that his anger is directed at himself. This conversation is unexpected. Over the hell of the last year, she wondered why Logan hated her. Now he is openly talking to her about that time.

Turning part way away from her to face the ocean he continues, although his voice is quieter, "I should have done more for my mom. She hid in her pills and alcohol and I just hid."

The thing is Veronica does understand what Logan is saying. He avoided going home and being with his parents as much as possible. Now it seems he is feeling guilty about not doing enough to support his mother.

She comes back to his voice, "After Lilly died, I should have been there more for DK. I let Celeste push him into taking those antidepressants. I let him slide into zombie land and I didn't do anything to stop him."

Turning back to her he focuses his complete attention on her. "Most of all though I wish I could go back and be there for you. I wish I had helped you with losing Duncan and then Lilly. I wish I had been a better friend. Instead I was an enemy and I hurt you. I let others hurt you." He runs his hand through his hair and then continues, "Hell I encouraged others to torment you." Seeing this part of the conversation is increasing her upset, he gets to the point. "I was an asshole. What did you call me…A psychotic jackass? I was that and more."

Taking both her hands in his, he shares earnestly, "Now though I want to be there for you. I want to help you. I want to try and make things better for you." Sadly he adds, "It is too late for my mom but I want to be there for DK and you now."

The shocked PI mind is reeling at the direction the conversation has taken. She can see the earnestness in his face and the way he is leaning close to her. Logan is very serious about helping Duncan and her. She is unsettled at how much blame he is taking for all the bad things that happened to the people he cares about. The truth is he was only fifteen and he was really hurting when Lilly was murdered.

"Look," he says taking her attention from her inner thoughts. He waves her to sit and he sits beside her, "I am not talking to my counselor about me per say but our discussions are helping me to get some perspective about my life." He talks about how the main character in the book they both read made a lot of poor decisions that hurt him and others in the long run. He tells her the author shows that most people handle the stressors in their lives how they are taught by whoever raised them. His voice becomes more animated as he makes his point, "Look at Duncan. Instead of dealing with Lilly's death, he never talks about her and he is taking medication; just like Celeste."

Veronica frowns at him in question. Logan correctly interpreting that she is not sure she agrees with him, points out, "Jake was beside himself with pain at Lilly's funeral. Duncan and Celeste just stood there with no emotions like they were at a stranger's funeral."

She thinks about his observation and has to agree. Jake had been very emotional while Celeste just stood there stone-faced. Now that she thinks about it Duncan had been unemotional as well. It was odd how calm and in control he was. He loved Lilly. He was close to her; yet, she and Logan were crying but Duncan just stood there."

Logan gently squeezes her hands to get her attention before carries on, "I get angry like my father or I drown in liquor like my mother."

As she thinks about Logan's words, she can see his point about how he learned to handle stress with either anger or drinking or both. Frowning as she thinks about the conversation, her thoughts turn to how she handles stress. She never talks about what happened to her and she lets things fester. All she needs to do now is drink and she would be like her mother.

Watching the expressions pass over her face, he can see that her quick mind is thinking about what they have been discussing. He turns her hands over and gently rubs the palm of her left hand with his right thumb before he confesses that lately he has been pulling Duncan away from Celeste and getting him to talk. He says, "DK is starting to join the land of the living again."

He sees the little furrow between her brows deepen as she processes the information and he almost smiles. She looks so incredibly cute when she is thinking hard. As difficult as this conversation has been on both of them, he carries on, "DK and I are working on our friendship again." He pauses and then finally adds, "It's been good."

Veronica finds she is actually pleased that Logan is making inroads in repairing the relationship with his best friend. She merely comments, "Good."

Logan smiles a little. He gently squeezes her hands again getting her full attention, "I want to help you. I am getting my head above water now. I can be here for you."

Holding her gaze he adds meaningfully, "I want to do more. I want to help you get revenge on the people who are in level six on your revenge scale." He earnestly adds, "You can't do it all alone. Please let me help you."

Agitated Veronica pulls her hands from his and stands up. Breathing fast she looks around as if she is searching for the nearest escape route and then abruptly turns and takes a quick step up towards her apartment.

Rising when he sees Veronica's agitation, Logan quickly puts his arm across the stairs blocking her escape. Before she can react he tells her, "No running Veronica. I know you are upset and that this has been a really hard day on you but I am your friend and your boyfriend. I care about you and I am going to be here for you. Maybe you don't know it but you are safe with me."

Veronica finally meets his gaze and tears fill her eyes. He thinks about how to make his position clearer. Finally he tries, "When I thought my mom was dead and I was crazy with grief, you helped me." He tentatively reaches his free hand up and gently caresses her cheek. Quietly he begs, "Please let me help you. Let me be here for you. Trust me to take care of you while you are feeling so much pain like I trusted you."

Keith Mars looks over the railing after he let Back Up into the apartment. When Veronica wasn't with the muscular puppy, he peeked over the railing to see where she was; hoping he would not have to see his daughter kissing her boyfriend goodnight.

Immediately he is on alert when she sees the conversation between his daughter and Logan has gotten intense. Experienced in assessing conflict, he notices Veronica stand and try to leave and he sees Logan put his arm across the stairs to stop her. Part of Keith wants to run down and get his daughter; the urge to protect her is strongly developed in him. The other part assesses that the young man is not physically hurting his daughter and he is trying to get through to her.

He hesitates. Keith is certain that something is going on with Veronica. He has not been able to get her talk about what is bothering her. He can see that she is alone most of the time and he knows it has been hard on her since he lost the Sheriff position and her mother left. His father's sense has been telling him that his daughter needs help. He has been watching. He has been worried.

Now she is dating Logan Echolls. He was her friend and Lilly's boyfriend for many years. Keith was used to seeing him around. Then after Lilly was murdered, Logan never came around. It looks like they just recently started dating. As he watches, Veronica seems to deflate at whatever Logan is saying and she lets him pull her into his arms.

Although Keith is unsure about his beloved daughter dating the spoiled, rich, young man who, at times, can be the poster boy for bad decision making, it is obvious that he does have strong feelings for her. Keith doesn't want to admit it but perhaps a boyfriend who cares about her and won't let her hide behind her walls could be good for Veronica.

For the second time that day Logan holds Veronica close to him, letting her feel his warmth and enfolding her into his arms. After a few minutes Veronica mumbles something into Logan's chest. He can't understand what she said so he pulls back a little and asks, "What?"

He looks down into her tear stained face and waits for her to tell him what she said. Finally she repeats, "You couldn't have helped your Mom you know."

He frowns at her in question. She pulls away from Logan and leans back against the railing. He leans on the railing across from her and listens as she elaborates, "I think back on my last few weeks with my mother and I wonder what was going on in her mind and what I could have done to get her to stay."

The disheveled blond reaches over and puts her hand on Logan's and then intertwines their fingers. She shares quietly, "The truth is both our mothers chose to leave us. At first I was angry that I didn't mean enough to her to stay. Now I just try and accept that she is gone and there isn't anything I can do about it."

He looks down at their joined hands and admits, "After you told me that my mom may be alive, I was so happy." She sees him swallow and then continue, "Then I was hurt that she left me alone. Now I am going to leave her alone in Paris and let her have a chance at happiness away from my father."

Veronica nods her understanding and then questions, "You know for sure she is alive?"

He immediately shakes his head and confesses, "No, I talked to Jake and he is going to check it out for me discretely without my father knowing."

"Good," she tells him sincerely.

He adds, "I really hope she is alive but right now it isn't going to make a difference for me." Bending his head a little to meet her gaze he questions, "Is that how you feel?"

Nodding her head she admits, "Basically." After a short but comfortable silence, Veronica tentatively starts, "Since Lilly died, I have learned so many things about her." She shakes her head not really knowing how to word what she wants to say.

Logan sees her disappointment, hurt and perhaps upset that her best friend kept secrets from her. He says, "I've talked to DK and she kept him out of the loop as well.'

Nodding her understanding Veronica quietly says, "I guess I feel like I really didn't know her sometimes."

Logan lifts their joined hands and kisses the back of her hand. He agrees, "I know what you mean."

Veronica looks and feels exhausted. She slowly raises her other hand to run it gently through Logan's hair stepping closer so she can touch him. Sadly she says, "We will probably never understand her choices."

He sees her fatigue and can hear it in her voice. Her needs are more important right now to him so he turns his face into her hand and gently kisses her palm. Slowly he wraps his arms around her and his gaze softens as he looks at her. "Ronnie I would be willing to talk about how I treated you after Lilly died. I have so much to apologize for but tonight you are totally exhausted and you should get some rest."

Closing her eyes she relaxes into his warm body and sighs tiredly. She admits, "I could sleep for a week."

He holds her for a minute and then gently tightens the hug for a moment. As he releases her, he leans back to see her face and is pleased that she looks contented in his arms. He says, "Let's get you upstairs."

Slowly she lifts her eye lids and meets his gaze. Her eyes are a little unfocused and he can see just how deeply stressed she is. Tilting her head up to look at him, she sees the caring expression on his face and the warmth in his brown eyes. Softly she whispers, "OK."

He smiles a little and offers, as he turns her to walk up the stairs beside him, "I'll pick you up for school tomorrow morning."

She smiles back a little sleepily and leans into him as they walk up the stairs together, "I would like that." Veronica stops about half way up the second staircase and puts a hand on his arm to stop his forward progress.

A little concerned he looks down at her in question. She bites her lip and says tentatively, "How about we do it this way? I will talk to Sean first and get the information from him. Then you can talk to him."

Logan is stunned by her offer. It is definitely an olive branch and he is smart enough to take it. He agrees, "That sounds fair."

He meets her gaze and says earnestly, "I wish we had more time together before we had to deal with all our issues."

She agrees, "That would be easier." He takes her hand and walks with her the rest of the way up the stairs. Obviously worried about her upset, he tells her that he is going over to work out with Casey so he will be up if she can't sleep or needs to talk.

Veronica is touched at how concerned he is about her and gently squeezes the hand she is holding. It really feels good to have his support. It is going to take a little getting used to.

At the apartment door Logan gently teases, "I think I deserve a kiss and hug from my girlfriend for skipping school for her."

Amused at his playful manner, she queries, "Does Dick give you a kiss and hug when you skip to surf with him?"

Slowly he shakes his head and retorts, "He wants to but I only accept affection from you."

Her smile grows and she leans into him wrapping her arms around his waist giving him a firm hug. Deeply tired she rests her head on his chest for a few moments listening to his regular heart rate and breathing pattern.

After a few relaxed moments, she tilts her head back and purses her lips. Logan immediately leans down and gives her a sweet, loving kiss.

When they pull apart he very gently caresses her cheek with his finger. He watches his finger travel from her cheek to her lips before he pulls it away. Putting his hands on her hips he stands her up and then places his hand on the middle of her back guiding her to her apartment door.

Leaning down her kisses her forehead and says, "See you in the morning. Sleep well."

She looks up at him and gives him a gentle look before she reaches up and opens the door to the apartment. "Good night," she says before she enters the apartment.

_Across Town_

Things are not as sweet, quiet and gentle for the frightened young man who has a hood over his head and is tied to a chair. His head hurts, back hurts and it really hurts to breathe. The guys who jumped him, worked him over very thoroughly after they put a hood over his head. Then they threw him into a vehicle and drove him somewhere. He never got a chance to see who grabbed him.

Now he is tied to a chair with his head covered so he can't see where he is and he is waiting. He has never been so scared in his whole life.

_The Next Morning_

Logan pulls up to school and parks in his usual spot. He looks over at Veronica and sees her texting someone on her phone. When he sees that she is engrossed in the conversation, he casually leans back and watches; waiting for her to be done.

He is relieved that she looks a lot better this morning. She looks rested and the dark circles are not as pronounced under her eyes. Although she looks better he can see she is on edge. Worried, he watches her tense posture as she looks at the answer to her last text.

Veronica finishes her final text and looks to see that her phone is downloading the video Weevil is sending her. Part of her wants to the open the video now and watch it. The other part believes that she should wait until she is alone after school to watch it.

She becomes aware that the vehicle is parked and looks out the window. She sees they are at school already. Her head whips over and she looks to see where Logan is only to find him turned sideways in the driver's seat watching her carefully.

Perceptive he sees that she has just now become aware of her surroundings. He quietly asks, "The video you are downloading looks important."

She sees the time on the radio clock and realizes that Logan has probably been watching her for a few minutes. She can see that he is smart enough to have guessed what is going on. Meeting his concerned gaze she calmly admits, "It is important to me. It is the information that Sean wasn't willing to tell me."

Logan nods and continues to look at her. Finally he says, "When are you going to watch it?"

"I don't know," she tells him. She looks at him and asks, "Why?"

Shrugging he tells her, "Well I don't mind skipping another day."

Frowning she looks at Logan for clarification. He meets her gaze and answers, "If you watch it now and are upset, I am going to be there for you."

The petit blond is deeply touched. She can see he is serious about being with her if she needs him; it is clear by the tenseness in his jaw and the clear brown of his eyes.

She bites her lips and points out, "I can't miss another day."

Logan knows she needs good attendance to meet some bullshit scholarship guideline. He also knows that it will kill her to wonder all day what Sean said. He looks out the front window for a few seconds towards the front of the school. His fingers are absently tapping the top of the steering wheel where he is resting his arm as he waited for her. He seems to come to some decision and leans back into the comfortable leather seat. "It is really going to bother me all day wondering which what Sean knows." Leaning forward a little he adds, "I can't imagine how you will wait."

He is surprised when she frowns at him and it is genuinely angry frown. Her face turns a little colder and she tells him, "I have been waiting and wondering this long, I can wait until later."

Logan reaches across and puts his hand on her arm stopping her from leaving the Xterra. He quickly asks, "How did you do it? How did you cope not knowing who was all involved?"

She swallows but doesn't quite meet his eyes as she answers, "All of the 09er guys hate me so it wasn't like I was able to narrow down the possible suspects. I just made sure I am never alone with any of them."

Logan pulls his arm back and sits there completely stunned as it hits him that Veronica has been afraid every day she is at school. She has been teased and tormented verbally but under her 'Don't mess with me' attitude, she is really just a small, frightened young girl.

He didn't just make her alone, he made her scared. Logan has trouble taking a deep breath, he thinks about how long she has suffered. God Shelley's party was so long ago. She has been afraid so long.

For the first time Logan is deeply concerned that his relationship with Veronica will not make it even if he gives it his best chance. How can she possibly forgive him for what he has done?

Without further comment he gets out of the Xterra and walks around and open Veronica's door. After he ensures she is stable on the ground, he shuts the door and takes her hand to walk into the school.

Neither teen talks on the way into the school towards her locker. Each has their own thoughts to contend with. Although they are not speaking, they do not look like they are fighting either.

Cassidy watches them walk and wonders what is going on with them. They arrived together and they are holding hands but the closeness that is usually between them is absent today. He needs to talk to Madison and see if she has put her part of the plan into action yet. Now seems like a very good time; Logan and Veronica look ripe for the picking.

_Lunch_

Meg is really unsure about helping Logan with his plan. She is friends with both Logan and Veronica and she doesn't really think Veronica will be happy about her part in this plan. Truly though she couldn't say no to Logan. This seems to mean a lot to him and his motivation is help Veronica.

Decision made, she puts a perky face on and heads out on the Quad to where Veronica is sitting with Logan at their table.

A bemused Veronica follows her friend to the other side of the Quad and then listens as the excited cheerleader talks to her about how her secret admirer wants her to go to the dance this week and what costume he wants her to wear.

Logan seeing that Meg is indeed keeping Veronica occupied, reaches for her phone and accesses her email. Since time is limited, he merely finds the email she received this morning and sees it is from Weevil. He forwards it to himself and then deletes the record of sending it to his phone from her record.

When Meg sees that Logan is finished with Veronica's phone she suddenly hugs her friend and tells her that they will talk later and that she has to go to the library. Confused and a little alarmed by her friend's excited manner, Veronica watches her rush away and then heads back to her table to eat lunch which has arrived.

Logan seeing her on her way back tips the delivery man and then smiles at his girlfriend. He teases, "Did you get your sugar fill for the day?"

She frowns at his joke and says, "She's pretty excited about her secret admirer."

Logan reaches in the bag and hands her a Styrofoam container and says, "Are you any close to figuring out who it is?"

Veronica looks at Logan and says, "You mean Duncan hasn't told you?"

"Duncan knows who it is?" Logan questions.

Veronica just smirks and says, "When we watched Sixteen Candles together, who did you and Lilly tease Duncan about who he was most like?"

Logan looks at Veronica in surprise and she tells him, "Meg is on the wrong track; she thinks it is probably Caz or Martin but I haven't forgotten what Duncan is like."

He reaches across and pulls her closer to him. He doesn't confirm or deny her conclusion, he instead says, "I don't think of you as 'pretty in pink' anymore."

Tilting her head at him in question she waits for him to finish. Quick to see the pitfalls of this discussion, Logan opts for, "You are a complex woman who doesn't fit any one standard."

Laughing at him openly she answers, "And you are full of it."

He laughs back and says, "I am captivated by you Veronica Mars and I am looking forward to getting to know all of you." He raises his eyebrows and mock leers at her.

"I bet you are," she answers in an exasperated tone as she looks up at her boyfriend whose expression is playful and definitely not innocent. Shaking her head at him she tilts her face up to kiss him. He is a handful but she finds that she kind of likes him that way.

Cassidy is watching and he is a little disconcerted by their flirting and sexual manner with each other. These two do flirt a lot but there is something different about them today. He feels his protective shell unraveling and that cannot happen. He won't allow his secrets to come out.

When the kiss is over, Veronica reaches down and picks up the package containing her cutlery and opens it. Lunch smells wonderful and she finds she is hungry.

_After School_

Logan is walking with Veronica towards the parking lot when he notices a large group of students standing in a particular area of the parking lot. Glancing up at her boyfriend Veronica notices the smirk that passes over his face when he looks over towards the commotion.

Immediately suspicious she says, "Logan?"

The tall 09er looks down at her and smiles. He leans down and kisses her forehead and answers, "Yes my dear."

Questioning she says, "What have you done?"

He gives her an innocent looks and answers, "I have done nothing."

She frowns at his manner but allows him to lead her over to the part of the parking lot where everyone is standing.

When they arrive, the crowd parts and lets them through. Veronica sees that Adam Thomas' car has a flat tire and the word "Bully" scratched into the paint. He is visibly upset as he knows his father will be very angry when he sees the damage to his car. Adding to his agitation is the fact that a bunch of 09er guys are sitting in lawn chairs laughing and making comments about him and his vehicle.

Veronica stops in shock when she sees what the excitement is about. Dick sees that Veronica and Logan have arrived. He waves to two empty chairs and says, "I saved you guys a seat."

Logan gently pulls Veronica over to an empty seat. He waves her to sit which she does reluctantly and he sits between her and Duncan. He and DK talk about a surfing trip they are thinking of taking and Duncan talks about how his father is thinking of getting him a new SUV.

After a few minutes of watching Adam get the jack out and start changing his tire and listening to the 09er guys harass him, Logan frowns and pronounces, "This is boring."

Casey, right on cue, shrugs and says, "We thought there must be something to it. Adam and his buddies seemed to get a real kick out of it. They watched Veronica change about twenty tires."

Logan smirks and agrees, "They sure did." He looks at Adam for a few seconds and pronounces, "I guess watching a hot girl change a tire would be more interesting." The guys all agree. Logan stands and puts his hand out for Veronica. He says, "Let's head out." He looks at the guys as Veronica stands and says, "We're out. Meet you at Point's Head in an hour."

The guys all agree. Adam watches Veronica and Logan leave. None of his football friends even tried to help him once they knew that Logan was targeting him. He is alone, ridiculed and has to explain the scratches in his paint to his parents.

Now that Logan has made it clear that he is a target, the defensive lineman guesses that his vehicle will have a lot of unexplained flat tires and need paint repairs. He can't believe that he is in trouble with the most powerful group in the school; all for harassing Veronica Mars who they targeted first.

Duncan Kane gets out of the lawn chair after a few more minutes and walks over to where Adam is working on putting his spare tire on. He waits until the humiliated young man looks up at him. Duncan says clearly, "Whatever vehicle you come to school in is going to have mechanical problems so you should get used to taking the bus." The red headed athlete looks at him obviously upset. DK adds, "The only way to make this whole situation stop is to get Veronica to say you are even."

The dark haired 09er smirks at the look of worry on Adam's face. Duncan adds, "Oh and a word of advice… Don't upset Veronica; Logan is very protective of her."

The 09ers and students watching see and hear the whole situation as it is played out. At first they thought Veronica had targeted the popular football player. After all he had targeted her first and she is well known for getting payback. Now it appears that Logan Echolls or perhaps Duncan Kane has put a target on Veronica's nemesis. Duncan has made it clear that the only way the 09ers are going to stop the payback is if Adam can get Veronica to let him off the hook.

Veronica sitting in Logan's Xterra looks out the window as she thinks about what just happened. She knows that Logan and possibly Duncan are going after the guys on level 2 of her list. Logan had denied the last prank was his idea or that his money was spent so the amateur detective can see that Duncan has decided to help Logan. Of course she knows it is Logan's idea. She told him about the levels of retribution and that she wanted to get payback against the people in level two but she was only one person and didn't have time. It appears that Logan has taken on that chore for her. Although she is not sure about having him deliver the payback for her, she has to admit he is very creative. Having the loud, obnoxious sophomore go through the experience of a flat tire and scratched paint is quite brilliant. How better to teach someone that sometimes payback can be a bitch than to turn the prank around? Sitting there watching, Veronica could see that Adam was really upset. His beloved car had been damaged and he was tormented as he changed the tire. Best of all none of his football friends stepped in to help him afraid they would be targeted as well. She would feel sorry for him because she actually does know exactly how he feels except he was horrible to her for personal gain. Maybe it will teach him how to be a better human. She doubts it but there is always that hope. In the meantime she finds that she is actually touched that Logan is helping her. He has made it clear that she is off limits to any pranks or teasing. He physically protected her when Ben got angry. He is getting back at the non 09ers who harassed her. Now he is ready and willing to help her find out who did physically hurt her even though he doesn't know how they hurt her and the perpetrator might be one or more of his closest friends. Actions do speak louder than words and Veronica is having to slowly accept that Logan Echolls is serious about working on their relationship.


End file.
